A Little Bit of Fear
by AshtakRa
Summary: As a viper pilot I expected death to be quick, violent but quick – or at the very least a few seconds of agony before the vacuum of space tore the life from me. It seems my death would not be that way. slash. ApolloOMC HeloOMC Final Chapter is up.
1. Chapter 1

**A Little Bit of Fear**

_**By AshtakRa**_

**_Disclaimer: _**I do not have any claim on any characters from Battlestar Galactica but I'll use them anyway - for absolutely no profit, just the thrill and pleasure.

**_Warning:_** This will contain slash, if you don't like it - I don't really care.

**_Author's Note: _**I have been too kind with characters before, this time I want them to be just a little unlikeable, at least to begin with.

**_Reviews: _**Yes please, feed me seymour!

**_Fandom: _**Battlestar Galactica 21st century style, season 2 set after Resurrection Ship.

**_Characters: _**Most of them at some point but mostly the pilots and of course Apollo, also a creation of my own.

**Chapter One**

As a viper pilot I expected death to be quick, violent but quick – or at the very least a few seconds of agony before the vacuum of space tore the life from me. It seems my death would not be that way.

Transferred to special operations I expected to die just as quickly but most likely at the hands of a cylon. Once again I avoided that particular scenario.

When I refused to kill innocent civilians I expected a bullet in the head but instead it was re-assignment, again.

When I refused to partake in the rape of a prisoner I thought they would at least thrust me out an airlock. Instead I was put in a cell and in there I had the time to think about just when it was that I stopped feared the cylons – and started fearing humans.

Fear is a funny thing, it can stop you from doing something you should or push you to do something you really shouldn't. It is our body's way of telling us it wants to live.

When I was first in the cell and they didn't feed me for a week I was afraid of starving to death – the exact opposite of the quick death I had long accepted as a pilot. Someone decided I was worth keeping however and so food was put back on my visitor's list.

I found out why they were keeping me alive when they started visiting me, first in twos and threes but then in groups of five or more. The beatings were not so bad since pain keeps the anger fresh and that kept me alive, if only for the opportunity of revenge.

Then they used me for other things, there was still pain but mixed with that was… loss: loss of control and a loss of my humanity. I stopped getting angry and then I stopped even feeling it most of the time.

I stopped caring and I gave up hope.

I have not felt fear for a long time; does that mean I don't want to live anymore?

That is why I can't care now that they come into the room and put a black bag over my head. I can feel the barrel of the pistol pressing against my temple, so get it over with – I'm ready.

Shouting, new voices but I can't hear them properly and it doesn't matter, the bag is cutting off my air and blackness comes in. I cannot even feel my body hitting the floor but I can still form a thought – suffocation: that one I had not considered.

XOXOXO

Admiral Adama sighed as he looked down at the figure on the bed, he glared up at the Pegasus marine commander, "I thought you only had one cylon prisoner – why didn't Admiral Cain tell me about this one."

The Lieutenant looked confused and reticent but at a prodding from one of the guards he finally managed an answer, "He is not a cylon sir, he was being kept for… disciplinary action."

A cough from the Doctor Cottle brought Adama's attention and a raised eyebrow let the doctor elaborate, "four fractured ribs, lacerations across the back and legs, dislocated shoulder, multiple internal injuries-," he threw down the folder he had been holding and stalked up to the Lieutenant and growled right in his face, "Hardly the injuries from 'disciplinary action' – more likely the result of sustained abuse."

"I've heard enough," said Adama and motioned to the guard, "Take this filth to the brig and tell _our_ marines job well done."

As the Pegasus marine was taken out the Admiral moved over to the bed and looked down at the injured man. He was still unconscious and even after being cleaned up his face was a miss-match of bruises and cuts, his hair unkempt and thick stubble covered his cheeks and jaw. An old scar ran from above his left eye down to the corner of his mouth, but far from being disfiguring it was the only injury that seemed to belong.

"What can you do for him?" he asked Cottle.

"Assuming he hasn't suffered from the oxygen depravation he really just needs rest and time to heal."

Adama smoothed back the young man's hair and muttered a small prayer to the gods, part of him hoped this would be the last atrocity perpetrated by the Pegasus but he somehow knew there would be more. The Galactica marines had done an excellent job of searching the Pegasus from bow to stern and that is how they had come across the 'cell' this man had been in. Although cell was a relative term – according to the report it was a bare room with nothing but a waste dispenser. No bed, no furniture, no light and not even a basin, and by the looks of it this man had been kept there for at least the last six weeks.

The doctor lit another cigarette and rubbed his thumb across his jaw, "Do we even have a name or just I just call him patient X?"

"No record of him can be found in the Pegasus logs," Adama answered, "But he's military."

"How can you tell?" grunted Cottle.

Adama smiled, perhaps for the first time that day, "After this long in the service believe me, I can tell."

"His name is Lucian," interrupted Starbuck from the doorway, "Lucian Kravell." She moved up to the bed and grimaced when she saw the injuries up close, "Someone mentioned the scar and I thought just maybe?" Starbuck traced the scar with a finger and with her other hand wiped away the tear that had escaped her eye.

"Kara?" prompted Adama, knowing that she must have not only known him but cared for Lucian a great deal. To some Kara Thrace was an enigma but to the Admiral she was an open book, her emotions always so close to the surface – especially where her friends were concerned. Doctor Cottle looked at them both and left the room, allowing for a more private discussion.

Starbuck looked up, not bothering to stop another tear from falling, "We were at the academy together, you know how it is – colleagues, team-mates, competitors, friends then…"

"More than friends," prompted Adama.

"No," laughed Starbuck and leaned on the bed with both hands so she could look directly down into Lucian's face, "Luc always danced to a different tune," she shook her head and said almost to herself, "And it wasn't one I could play."

"Lee will be happy to know Kara Thrace doesn't always get what she wants," said Adama and he grinned at the reaction that got from Starbuck. It seemed to knock her out of whatever shock she was in at seeing an old friend in such condition. He could see the difference as her body language changed to the attitude everyone was used to seeing, one that spoke of arrogance and insubordination. Adama had served on battlestars where just such body language could get you written up, luckily for Starbuck his was not one of them.

"Point me towards the fracken arseholes who did this sir, and I promise you it will never happen again."

Everything he knew about the ace pilot told him she was not kidding, and part of him was tempted to give her the go-ahead – but at some point they had to take a step back. The fleet could not afford a cycle of violence and revenge to be perpetuated and if that meant some crimes went unpunished then it was a necesary evil.

"I'm sorry Kara, this has to stay off the grid – there's enough bad blood between the Pegasus and Galactica crews, this would only fuel the fire." He could tell that she was going to argue the point so continued over the top, "And besides that we don't even know what Lucian did, for all we know he could be a cylon."

Starbuck laughed incredulously, "No, not him – he is one hundred percent human sir, you can trust me on that," she grabbed one of Lucian's hands, "All human and look what they did to you."

"Starbuck," said the admiral, using her call-sign to get her full attention, "I need to know you will take this no further – I need you to do this for me."

She nodded as her eyes brimmed with tears again, "Okay," she whispered, "But sir – when Luc wakes up, he will want revenge and believe me when I say that he will get it. He was my best friend but at times he was the scariest son of a bitch I've ever known."

This surprised Adama, looking at Lucian he saw a young man – obviously strong to have survived but his features did not seem like that of someone Starbuck would be afraid of. His jaw line was straight but soft and his nose also straight with the lips below quite thin; there was a delicateness to him that apart from his darker complexion reminded Adama of Lee. Of course Lee could be pretty scary too when focused on a mission so the admiral was willing to take Kara's word on it, but he had to wonder what else was there.

"What else should I know about this man Captain?" he demanded of the young woman, "You were best friends with him but you've never mentioned him, why?"

Starbuck hesitated and pondered the question carefully before answering, "Lucian had a certain aspect to his personality and a knack for acquiring skills that brought him to the attention of," she licked her lips and croaked out the next, "The Fates."

Adama was speechless himself for a moment, "He's a Fury?"

She nodded, "As such all records of him were expunged and I had to forget he existed – he became a ghost."

"He must've been on assignment to the Pegasus when the war started," pondered Adama, "Fake name, unremarkable position and an unremarkable record, that's how they operate – but if Cain found out… why did she let him live, she killed others for lesser reason."

"Maybe she never found out," said Starbuck, "No matter his original mission Lucian would have done his bit to fight back at the cylons – but he had pretty high principles."

Adama saw where she was going, "He would not have gone along with Cain's methods would he?"

"No."

"You think he'd try to stop her – kill her?"

"We were going to," said Starbuck as if to excuse Lucian, then she shook her head, "But he would have been more subtle, I think he probably tried convincing others to protest – maybe that's what got him caught."

"Nothing excuses doing this to one of your own people," put in Cottle who had just re-entered the room and immediately started checking Lucian's vitals, "Better to put a bullet in his head than torture a man for weeks and subject him to such abuse."

The way he said abuse caught Starbuck's attention, "What other kinds of abuse?" she grabbed his arm roughly when he wouldn't answer, "What abuse?"

"Every kind Starbuck, every kind."

XOXOXO

Lucian awoke and immediately his instincts kicked in:

Observe

Evaluate

Formulate

Act

Observation: He was in a room, not the cell on the Pegasus. This room was... it was some kind of luxury suite! Lucian controlled his shock and remained motionless, only moving his eyes. The ceiling was decorative, a style somewhat out of date but still pleasing to the eye – grey on white panels continually jutting over one another and creatively covering the air and light fixtures. The walls that were visible were fake wood panelling with a dark grain running through and two pictures, one of an ocean yacht in full sail and another a field of flowers under an orange sky. There was an odd smell of citrus, the kind that is immediately noticeable but forgotten in minutes – so obviously fake. He could not see it but the bed he was on was luxuriously soft and what seemed to be satin sheets covered his almost naked body. The lighting was dim but not enough that he had to squint to see anything. He could not see the entire room without moving but he knew he was alone, enough years of shadow ops had taught him that particular sixth sense.

Evaluate: Logically he was on a ship, the colonies were destroyed and the decor screamed pleasure cruiser. The lack of pain meant his injuries had been treated but the tightness in his chest and shoulder meant they were not yet healed. This gave Lucian a relative time-line of days and not weeks since he had blacked out. It was possible that this was another cruel trick but he dismissed that as unlikely, he knew his captors and they were not this creative. This left the conclusion that he had been removed from the Pegasus by persons unknown, treated and placed here. For a moment he considered a cylon trick, and this he did not discount; the cylons were definitely capable of such action and their knowledge of human psychology could create such a scenario as an interrogation technique. He filed that away as a possibility but not the most likely.

The probability of this being the action of humans was most likely, and they were military. Civilians would have patched him up and kept him in hospital, probably even try to revive him with drugs. Even though they could not have known that it would have been disastrous; Lucian would have reacted without thought if woken in a drug induced state, especially after what he had been through – and as a trained killer no-one in the room would have survived. The military would know to provide a setting where Lucian would have time to absorb the situation and react calmly; even if they were not aware of his Fury status they would know from his prior injuries and tattoos that he was special ops at the very least. Whoever was in charge was playing it very carefully and knew people. That left two scenarios for this particular situation, one was they were lulling him into a false sense of security before interrogation and two, they wanted him quiet and therefore his former captivity would be under wraps. That meant his captors were probably still alive and that meant revenge was possible.

Lucian's heartbeat quickened at the very thought of it. He had memorised faces, voices and when they had revealed neither he memorized their smell and body language. Not one of those frackers would be able to get within arms reach of Lucian without him knowing, and if they were that close they were dead. The number of them did not bother him, whether killing one or dozens it was still vengeance that he could not ignore; a part of him saw such revenge as self-destructive but he compartmentalized that for later examination. Fury training was very good at putting agents in the frame of mind where they could act regardless of emotional factors; the flip side was that he could act purely on emotion without considering the cold reality. This is what had brought him to the notice of the Fates in his final year of training. An ability to swap, change and even put aside emotions in a split second when the occasion demanded was essential for any good soldier and Lucian could do this better than most, but he could also focus his emotions into a single point, acting purely on emotion while still utilizing skills the military had taught him. There was more than one reason people like him were known as furies.

Formulate: In order to exact revenge Lucian needed freedom of movement and needed to remain in the military. He had to assume Pegasus was under new command and that there was now more than one ship – whether or not it was a Battlestar remained to be seen. If they had truly freed him from captivity and placed him here out of compassion then he did owe them his loyalty – but loyalty was not mutually exclusive with revenge. The plan was simple, if the people who put him here were not a threat he would join them and mean it, but he would have revenge if the possibility arose – and Lucian would make sure that the situation would be in his favour. Of course, his new captors might not be benevolent so that too must be dealt with, if they were monitoring him then they would know he was awake – even passive sensors can detect a change in breathing and heartbeat. That meant he had to act.

A soft knock on the door brought a small smile to Lucian's face, by that small action they had revealed that he was indeed being watched – if they thought him still unconscious a knock would not have been needed. He relaxed his arms and legs and put on his best blissfully innocent expression, but the moment they entered it would be time to act. He breathed and played out the scene in his mind, even with his damaged ribs and shoulder disabling several opponents should be easy.

"Come in," he spoke evenly.

The door opened and the person entering barely had time to register that Lucian was no longer on the bed before an arm wrapped around their neck and started squeezing. Lee Adama could not even rasp out a call for help before the darkness started flooding in.

_To Be Continued..._


	2. Chapter 2

**A LITTLE BIT OF FEAR**

**_By AshtakRa_**

**_Disclaimer: _**I do not have any claim on any characters from Battlestar Galactica but I'll use them anyway - for absolutely no profit, just the thrill and pleasure.

**_Warning:_** This will contain slash, if you don't like it - I don't really care.

**_Author's Note: _**I have been too kind with characters before, this time I want them to be just a little unlikeable, at least to begin with.

**_Reviews: _**Yes please, feed me seymour!

**_Fandom: _**Battlestar Galactica 21st century style, season 2 set after Resurrection Ship.

**_Characters: _**Most of them at some point but mostly the pilots and of course Apollo, also a creation of my own.

**Chapter Two**

Lee considered that this would be the last time Starbuck had proven him wrong. She had said to be careful, she had said to be patient, and she had told him not to underestimate Lucian Kravell. When the monitor had alerted him that Lucian was awake he had expected a man barely capable of speech let alone action. Now as he struggled to breathe and his vision began to blur and blacken he mentally cursed Kara for every time she had been right, and that was a lot of curses.

Just as he expected his last experience in this existence would be dying from being choked by a dishevelled half naked former viper pilot, the pressure eased and lips whispered in his ear, "Name and rank soldier."

He figured it couldn't hurt, "Lee Adama, Captain," he managed to blurt out before the man released his hold and sent Lee hurtling across the room to land sprawled on the bed. Lee put a hand to his throat and coughed, just to check that his windpipe was not crushed, he also decided wisely not to get up.

Looking up at Lucian he saw a man aware not only of the room around him but the corridor outside, all without taking his eyes off Lee. If anyone had come in at that moment the situation would have looked ridiculous since one man dressed in nothing more than black underwear was obviously keeping another man trapped on a red satin covered bed. Stupid as it looked Lee was not willing to risk another confrontation, if the man truly was a Fury then he could kill Lee in a matter of seconds, and that was not the outcome he was here for.

Lucian faced Lee, his attention wavering between bed and door; after ten seconds he visibly relaxed and gave Lee a toothy smile. For whatever reason Lee found himself smiling back, even though the man had just tried to kill him.

"Adama, a name well known and respected – son?" Lucian asked as he stalked up to the bed and flopped down, crossing one leg and leaning on one arm that was set precariously close to Lee's thigh.

Feeling safe enough to sit up the Captain answered while trying to edge away from the other man, "I'm known for my own deeds, not my father's."

Giving a high pitched laugh Lucian leaned over further, undoing Lee's efforts to escape the invasion of his personal space, "Of course you are… Apollo."

Lee raised an eyebrow, while he did not doubt that Lucian may know his call sign from some file he had read before the war he knew that the Fury only used it to show that he knew exactly who Lee was, but how? There had been enough dangerous situations he had been involved in recently for Lee to know that there were precarious moments where the way you played your opponent was balanced on a pinhead. While Lucian appeared to be playing the charm slash intimidation card Lee knew that he could revert to the deadly warrior he had been just moments ago.

The question was how to play this particular situation; Starbuck had been thin on much of Lucian's personality, as if she considered such a thing sacred. This coming from a person who would cross the line before you finished drawing it; Lee had to wonder how a man could inspire such confidence from her. He had only met (knowingly) two Furies prior to Lucian and they had been very staid humourless men who exuded an aura of uninterested disdain in the world around them. Lucian was nothing like that; he was animated and gave an appearance of hyperawareness that was akin to being in the company of some twigged out stim-junky. In the split second that all of this passed through Lee's mind he made a snap decision that if he was honest with himself was not all about just surviving this situation.

"Starbuck's alive," he said, his voice still throaty from the near choking, "And she's told me all about you," as he said the 'you' he leaned into Lucian's own space. The Fury's eyes widened slightly at the mention of Starbuck and hesitated as Lee's face came within centimetres of his own.

"Kara," Lucian murmured as if Lee had said the name of his own private God. But he did not back away and up close Lee could see that there were dark circles under the man's eyes and that his skin was pale, not as pale as Lee's own but paler than his darker complexion should have been. The tactician in Lee noticed Lucian's tiredness but another part of him admired the deep emerald eyes and the way his thick stubble added to the allure of the thin white scar across his cheek.

Lucian moistened his lips and Lee saw an opportunity, perhaps he could gain back the advantage with a little bit of charm himself combined with Lucian's fatigue. Letting his shoulder brush the other man's he whispered, "She told me a lot about you Luc."

His knee jostled against Lucian's ribs, "She told me about the wild nights."

"The amount of time you spent checking out the talent," he could see Lucian's eyes lose focus as he remembered and Lee silently thanked Tyrol for the extra juice he needed to get Kara drunk enough to spill that little gem. Now if he could just distract the man enough he could get to the pistol hidden in his boot.

"She told me," his mouthed moved so close to Lucian's that he was breathing in the other man's air, "That you were passionate in all things," and he pressed his lips up against Lucian's. The Fury hesitated for a moment then responded, putting a hand to Lee's cheek and drawing him in closer, their lips were now crushed together and this was the moment Lee had waited for. Now was the time to reach down, grab the gun and end this.

His hand started to slide down but stopped at the knee, instead he slipped it up and around the other man's back, drawing their bodies closer and he hissed at the heat Lucian was giving off; either the man had a fever or always ran this hot. In this one moment when he should have been resolving the situation Lee simply did not care, for this brief time he threw away the mantle of Captain, CAG and responsibility. He was not William Adama's son, he was not an officer in the Colonial Fleet – he was just a man enjoying an instant of pure liberation.

Lee arched his back and just as he moved his hand around to caress Lucian's stomach he felt a slight pressure on his ankle and a second later a cold steel barrel was pressed against his temple. His own gun was now at his head and he drew back from the kiss, his lips still parted and swollen.

Cold green eyes glared into his own, "Seduction 101 was covered in basic training Captain," the Captain was said with distinct disdain, "Now you will tell me exactly where we are and how I ended up here, and then we will see whether you walk out of here," Lucian pressed the gun to the point of pain, "Or get carried out."

_To Be Continued..._


	3. Chapter 3

**A LITTLE BIT OF FEAR**

_**By AshtakRa**_

_Author's note: Thanks for the reviews and yes I did take them on board, actually they really helped with the shape of this chapter. Special thanks to 'Ammonite' for picking up the loaded gun part. Yes at some point I may explain what the Furies actually are but you probably get the picture from what is said. Enjoy._

**Chapter Three**

_(Cold green eyes glared into his own, "Seduction 101 was covered in basic training Captain," the Captain was said with distinct disdain, "Now you will tell me exactly where we are and how I ended up here, and then we will see whether you walk out of here," Lucian pressed the gun to the point of pain, "Or get carried out.")_

Admiral Adama chuckled as he watched his son kiss another man, he had to hand it to Lee – adapting to any situation was always one of his strongest assets. They had discussed how best to handle this situation and although Starbuck had wanted to go in first the Admiral sent in Lee, just to see what Lucian's reaction would be. It was a calculated risk as they found out the second Lucian had grabbed Lee, but Adama had been confident his son would diffuse the situation. It was just a little surprising seeing the exact method Lee had used.

A sharp laugh erupted behind him and Adama turned to see Starbuck grinning from ear to ear as she too looked at the monitor and could not help herself commentating, "That's kind of hot," a glare made her cough down anything else she wanted to say. When Adama turned back to the screen it was to see Lee with a gun – his gun – held to his temple, 'now' thought the Admiral 'we see what this guy is made of'.

XOXOXO

"Or get carried out."

Lucian waited but Lee just raised his head defiantly, removing the gun from the other man's head Lucian bounced it up and down a few times before handing it back to Lee. He got up and moved over to a chair that held some clothing; he started putting them on wordlessly, his back to Lee the whole time. They had provided the Fury with dark civilian clothing, all the better to keep his existence low key. While putting on the boots he finally faced Lee but his faced betrayed nothing of what he was thinking, this unnerved Lee more than any fierce glare or angry sneer could, it was like trying to deal with several people at once. Dangerously aggressive to overly friendly to absolutely deadpan in less than a few minutes; the man was either totally out of his mind or damn good at what he does, Lee was betting on the latter.

Sitting on the corner of the bed Lee still held the gun, "You still want to know where you are?"

A grunt was the only answer and Lee took it as an affirmative, "You're on a civilian ship, the Cloud Nine – part of a large civilian fleet protected by the Battlestar Galactica, and now the Pegasus," he added.

Lucian appeared to ponder this, showing no shock or surprise at the revelation that another Battlestar had survived. What Lee did not know is that Lucian had already deduced this, even to the point of which Battlestar it was. Since Lee did not react the way someone would have at the mention of a 'dead' father during their earlier conversation Lucian figured that William Adama was alive, and if that were so it was only probable that his Battlestar – the outdated Galactica, had survived too.

"Cain is dead?" he asked as if he already knew the answer.

"Cylon agent, bullet in the head," Lee mimicked by putting a finger to his forehead. Lucian nodded absently and stood up; walking around the room seemingly aimlessly he paused before the picture of the yacht and glanced back at Lee speculatively.

"Who picked this room?"

"Kara," but Lee had to wonder why he asked that question.

"Ahh, yes – Kara Thrace," the Fury continued to wander around the room, he peered into the mirror, turned on the basin water, tested the softness of the armchair and played with the light settings, "Star - buck," he emphasised the last syllable and came back to stand in front of Lee. His gaze went back to the gun and the glint in his eyes and the smirk told Lee all he needed to know.

"You knew the gun was empty?"

A slight nod, "But I wonder Apollo, what would have happened if I pulled the trigger."

"Its empty, nothing," Lee tried to fob off the question, already suspecting that Lucian was two steps ahead and gaining ground quickly.

"Let me tell you what I think is going on here – stop me if I'm wrong," said Lucian, once again pacing around the room, "Not knowing if I would wake up violent, reasonable or just catatonic you had to be prepared for all of them. Catatonic is easy, put in a feed tube and let me be – be a waste of the room though. Violent, well I am sure the marine squad waiting outside would have taken care of that. That leaves reasonable, but how can you tell if I was really 'in my right mind' or just acting. So when my vitals say that I am awake and not tearing the room apart they send you in, with an empty gun and a very surprising interrogation technique," he smiled and ran a finger across his own lips.

"Hey, I gave it all I got," joked Lee, deciding that Lucian might relax a little with some humour.

Lucian snorted and said, "Then you need some practice, and please – you're cute but I'm not going to be distracted that easily."

"It's all I had to work with"

"You had the gun," argued Lucian.

"An empty gun."

"But I wasn't meant to know it was empty."

"Well no, but-," Lee paused and asked a question of his own, "How _did_ you know it was empty?"

Walking up Lucian snapped up the weapon, "TDK mark IV, issued to Fleet marines and Viper pilots, small, easily concealed and uses gas released ceramic bullets – less likely to breach the hull or any primary systems, it should weigh half a kilo fully loaded," he tossed the gun onto the bed, "This one does not, of course seeing that Kara is alive you know what I am and no person in their right mind would send you in with a loaded weapon – but then never overestimate your opponent's common sense."

"You knew but still didn't pull the trigger," countered Lee.

"I've been unconscious for long enough, your friends would have released the gas," he pointed up at the roof, "Probably from one of the light sockets. I would be knocked out and would wake up in the brig, labelled a dangerous and uncontrollable asset."

He sunk into the chair and crossed his arms, hiding the hands that had begun to shake. Mentally he felt better than he had in months, a lack of pain frees up a lot of neurons but physically his body was still recovering and even that small amount of activity had weakened him. Lee noticed this but decided not to comment, Lucian appeared to have a good sense of humour but he did not want to push it.

"So," sighed Lucian, "Do I pass?"

XOXOXO

"I've seen enough," muttered Admiral Adama, "Bring him to the conference room."

The marine saluted and exited the room, Starbuck was still watching the screen as the two men chatted about Viper tactics and she had to prevent another laugh from erupting. Lee 'Apollo' Adama making out with another guy, it was something that had to be seen to be believed and may never happen again. Mostly though Starbuck focused on Lucian Kravell, he looked much the same and sounded the same but the way he moved told her something was wrong, but not enough for her to voice a concern to the Admiral. It had been several years since they had seen each other and things change, not to mention that the man had been imprisoned in horrific conditions for the last six weeks, if that meant he acted slightly askew she was willing to let it go.

"Starbuck."

"Yes sir," she answered and turned to face the Admiral.

"You put something in the room that told him you were really alive – notice he never questioned Lee on that."

She had to give Adama credit, he picked up on the very detail anyone else would have missed, "The picture of the yacht sir, we used to go sailing – actually we raced, the picture alone would mean nothing but when Lee said I had picked the room… it was my way of giving him a heads up, sorry sir."

Adama could easily berate her for compromising the operation but instead he smiled broadly, "So maybe there is someone who we can partner you with after all, never thought I'd see the day Starbuck."

"You're not serious sir?"

"We'll see."

XOXOXO

Three hours later the meeting was still going on but was taking its toll on Lucian. His eyes could barely stay open, his hands were clasped firmly to prevent them from shaking and the pain from the fractured ribs was fast becoming intolerable. Luckily they had almost covered everything, from his skills as a Viper pilot to the possibility of filling such a roll on the Galactica. While he was willing to do that Adama went further and wanted him to work in his capacity as a Fury.

First he had to assure the Admiral that he would not seek revenge upon his former captors, he lied and said he would not and Adama lied by saying he believed him. As such certain limits were set upon where he could go and who he could talk to where the Pegasus was concerned. It was also necessary to keep his captivity a secret and have a cover story for who he was and where he had come from. It was perfectly safe to use his real name, since any record of Lucian Kravell being an agent of the Fates simply did not exist because any record of the Fates did not exist. This would also cover the possibility that any other pilots remembered him from the academy (only Starbuck knew he had become a Fury, to anyone else he appeared to drop out in their final year).

Lucian enjoyed the first real meal he had had in a long time while Lee filled him in on what had happened to the Galactica and the Fleet since the war began, he was surprised by most things – especially that they had got this far and that Earth apparently really did exist. He asked few questions, mostly concerning the political structure and any noise of unrest among the fleet. Finally though the meeting drew to a close but Adama had one final question.

"Just how did you know we would use gas – we could've used a stunner, flash grenade or just shot you in the head."

Yawning discreetly the Fury looked blearily at the Admiral, "I could tell one of the lights was not working so you probably had a tube through the socket but that wasn't what capped it for me."

"What then?"

"The basin – the water didn't drain out."

Starbuck laughed and even the admiral had to hide a grin behind a clutched fist, for some reason Lee looked annoyed. The marine who was standing by the door couldn't help herself, "Exactly how does that tell you anything?"

Lee answered instead, but his tone was clipped, "We had to block the drain, if gas got into the water system the whole ship could've been contaminated – it was," he hesitated and looked at Starbuck as if daring her to laugh again, "It was my idea to use the gas."

Starbuck tried to stop it but her snorting became fully fledged laughter, quickly followed by Adama and finally even Lee. Lucian smiled and nodded but laughter was beyond him at this point, all he wanted was bed – a real bed in a room not rigged to trap him, now that would be a change.

XOXOXO

Aboard the raptor back to the Galactica Lucian started to nod off but found Lee watching him intensely, they were alone in the back so Lucian silently mouthed 'what?'

Leaning forward Lee kept his voice low, "What happened earlier, I'd appreciate if you kept it quiet – even though Starbuck will probably broadcast it to the entire fleet."

"Oh I don't know Captain, Kara can very discreet about such things – trust me on that, but why did you do it? There is any number of ways you could've distracted me, or provoked me."

A look of deep melancholy came over Lee's face, "It's not something I would normally do – ever do, its just."

Lucian smirked, the glint returning to his eyes, "Don't worry Captain, I'm not fishing for a date and I know you probably prefer blondes," that got a small smile from Lee, Lucian continued, "I'm just interested in the why, what's going on to make you do something that's so out of character?"

"That's the second time you've spoken like you know me, have we met before?" but Lucian just shrugged in response to the question. Deciding that the man would keep his secrets Lee decided to answer his question, for some reason opening up to this stranger – perhaps because he didn't have some expectation to live up to.

"I just wanted to see if I could feel something, anything except for this," he turned his palms up, looking for the right words, "Emptiness." The Fury nodded, not wanting to interrupt – Lee continued on, "Its like I wake up everyday and just wait for disaster to strike, but it doesn't worry me or scare me because… I can't grasp why it's so important to survive anymore."

"I think I now how you feel," muttered Lucian, a haunted look creeping over his own darker features, "In the last week, before your marines rescued me, whenever I managed to sleep - I hoped never to wake up. They scoured all my fear away and it didn't leave me stronger, just lifeless."

Both men stared into nothingness, each exploring their own demons and in some way drawing strength from the other's pain. Finally Lee looked up at the cockpit, checking that neither the Admiral nor Starbuck were listening, "If you want my advice Luc," he whispered, "Do whatever it takes short of mutiny to get back at the fracken bastards who did this to you, and if you ever need some back-up," he just nodded to let Lucian know he would answer the call.

The Fury wanted to tell Lee that he fully intended to take revenge but knew that at some point the Captain's sense of right and wrong might become a liability, so he just smiled in thanks and gave some advice of his own, "I thought I was dead when they put that gun to my head, and I didn't care – but then I woke up in that room on satin sheets and found that I wanted to live after all," he failed to add 'if only to have my vengeance', "But I still woke up alone, so my advice – whenever possible try to wake up next to someone."

Lee looked hard at Lucian for a moment then chuckled and put a hand on the other man's shoulder, "_Now_ I think you're fishing for a date." Both men laughed loudly but Lee already had in mind a certain women whom he would not mind waking up next to, unfortunately she was back on Cloud Nine – but he had some rec days coming up and some currency to spend.

Lucian was already formulating plans for both undertaking what the admiral needed done, and finding a way to take his revenge. At some point he knew that both duty and revenge would counter-act each other, and he was not yet sure which road he would take when that happened. For the moment he leaned his head back against the bulkhead and closed his eyes, letting the gentle vibration of the thrusters lull him to sleep.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

**A LITTLE BIT OF FEAR**

_**By AshtakRa**_

**Chapter Four**

**(set right before Blackmarket)**

Lieutenant Marcus Scavarelli could not help but stare at his new quarters aboard the Galactica in dismay, if they could be called his quarters. He would after all be sharing the room with eight other crew members. With a pang of remorse for his lost room (with only one other occupant) on the Pegasus he threw his gear on the bunk and opened up the locker, a blast of pungent air hit him and with finger and thumb he removed what seemed to have once been some kind of fruit. Figuring he would have time to properly clean it out later Scavarelli just sighed and crossing his arms across his forehead he leaned against the top bunk.

The door opened and closed with a clang but Scavarelli chose to ignore it. Not in the mood for 'meet and greet' and he was also well aware how the Galactica crew would regard him, a member of the Pegasus crew. In the last two months his world had gone from bad to worse as his belief in what they were doing faltered and died, along with the few people he had actually cared about on board the Battlestar. How he had escaped the purge was unknown to the young Lieutenant but at times he wondered if it had been better just to be blasted out the airlock with the others.

What scared him the most was how few of the crew actually knew what had gone on, and how even fewer cared. Most only heard the rumours and discounted them, or allowed themselves to believe the cover stories of equipment malfunctions and weapon misfires. A modern Battlestar simply did not suffer such trouble unless there was sabotage or intent, the intent was to get rid of any crew who were vocal in their opposition to the 'at all costs' mindset of Admiral Cain and her cronies. While one part of him was disappointed at the new quarters he would be in it was still preferable to remaining on the Pegasus; seeing those monsters everyday, saluting them, giving them status reports – looking them in the eye and daring them to see in him what they had casually killed others for. It was in vain, he was invisible and beneath their awareness – only one person had ever really noticed him, and that man was dead.

_Strong hands held him as they both looked out at the stars, the observation deck was clear for once and they had a precious moment alone. The deep cadence of his voice whispered in his ear everything Scavarelli wanted to hear, they would survive this, they would find a new home – they would escape the prison that Pegasus had become. Scavarelli knew them for the lies they were but for that wonderful piece of time he allowed the fantasy to play through his mind. Just the two of them, free of the tyrannical rule of an admiral gone mad and a crew willing to follow her downward slide into insanity; free of the menace of the cylons and free of the constant fear and intimidation. Of course nothing intimidated the man holding him, he was almost annoying in his ability to brush off any of Marcus' fears, to promise that he would always be around and would never leave Marcus alone._

He had broken that promise, he was 'killed' in a viper training mission – the story was that he had accidentally ejected, the failsafe mechanism had misfired, jettisoning the pilot into space and they had been unable to recover the body. Scavarelli knew they had lied, knew that a man like that would never had made such a series of errors. The only error he had ever made was to try and bring others into their cause, a cause that was meant to end in the removal of Cain and the reinstitution of a code of ethics that the admiral had efficiently torn to shreds.

Now she was dead, a new admiral was in charge and for a while Scavarelli had hoped that things would change; he had heard that Adama was fair and just, but Adama's influence stretched only so far and an atmosphere of fear and intimidation still persevered aboard the Pegasus. Hope was almost gone for the young lieutenant when the orders for his transfer had come through, he did not know how this had happened or why, he just thanked the gods it had. One thing that could not be done was to remove the incredible loneliness that dwelled within his chest. He could feel the hot tears dripping down his face but let them run, on the Pegasus he could never reveal such weakness and for all he knew it was the same here on the Galactica – but for right now he just did not care.

A muted cough behind brought Scavarelli out of his introspection and wiping at his eyes he turned around. Facing him was a tall and broad shouldered man who should have been ignoring the fact that Scavarelli had been crying, but instead he had a look of concern that broke into a crooked grin, "I hope they are tears of joy at being teamed with the best."

In some weird way he was not too far off so Scavarelli returned the grin and held out his hand, "Marcus Scavarelli, that is Lieutenant Scavarelli, sir?"

"No, a Lieutenant myself, Karl Agathorn," he said, brushing off Scavarelli's impending salute, "But call me Helo."

"Alekto," Scavarelli returned his own call sign, Helo seemed to mull the name over as if trying to ascertain how Scavarelli came about such a call sign. He stopped short of asking however and clapped the smaller man on the shoulder, "Time for the tour, unfortunately you have been assigned to me and it has been said my tours are the most gruelling in the fleet."

XOXOXO

After the tour Scavarelli's spirits had definitely lifted, partly due to Helo who just seemed to have that ability and also due to the crew that he met. They were actually friendly and most went out of their way to make him feel welcome, to the point where he was positive he was slightly drunk with all the drinks that had been shoved his way. The expectation that the Galactica crew would hate everything Pegasus was busted, at least as far as Scavarelli could tell. There were some who looked at him suspiciously for a few seconds but they seemed to shrug off any malcontent they felt at hearing he was from the 'beast' and quickly introduced themselves.

As they re-entered the crew quarters Scavarelli realised that the knot of tense muscle that pained him constantly on the Pegasus was easing up after just a few hours on Galactica. The pain in his chest still lingered but perhaps it was time to truly make a new start and move on from the past, at least he was beginning to form such thoughts when he almost ran in to that very thing from his past that he missed most.

Scavarelli just stared stupidly at the man before him, trying to decide if he was a vision, a phantom and even the possibility of some cylon copy went through his brain. He could not speak, could barely breathe in case the illusion was broken, and it was an illusion he wanted to enjoy for just a moment longer.

"Thank you lieutenant," Lucian said to Helo, "I need a private word with this man," indicating the door Helo took the hint and quickly exited with a muttered, "Yes sir."

Helo had seen him, obeyed an order he gave – that meant he was actually here, he was alive! Still Scavarelli could not speak, nor move; it was too overwhelming. So it was that he remained motionless when Lucian moved in and embraced him tightly.

"Marcus," that voice whispering in his ear, so familiar but with a rasp he did not recognise at first. As the heat from the other man started to radiate through him and his name was said again Marcus recognised what it was: want, need and pure lust. Finally he was released from stasis and Marcus could move again, and speak – but he made do just with movement and pushed Lucian back roughly and stalked over to the door. He picked up a metal pipe and looked back at Lucian who had such a look of hurt and confusion that almost made Marcus laugh; instead he spun around and slid it through the door release.

In most things Lucian was in charge, he always knew what action to take and gave the orders but here and now it was Marcus who took charge. He turned back to Lucian and a truly lecherous sneer spread across his features, the other man saw this and gulped with his own grin forming, "I guess a hello and how're goin' won't do – urgh," his sentence was cut short as Marcus slammed into him, taking them both onto the bunk behind them.

Marcus briefly tried to recall if they were actually on his bunk, then as Lucian ran hard and desperate kisses up his jugular he suddenly did not care. He groaned as the other man reached his lips and crushed against them. Not able to remove Lucian's jacket in the close confines he ripped it open and thrust his hands up under his undershirt, a slight hesitation as he felt how much weight Lucian had lost but the other man just grunted, "Keep going," so he did. Moving up over the quivering abdomen he ran his fingertips across firm nipples and got the gratifying moan from Lucian, it had been too long and while both men would have liked to take it slow – such a thing was simply impossible.

XOXOXO

Helo paused outside the closed door but stopped from trying the handle, he had an idea it would be locked. He liked Alekto; although melancholy at first the kid had warmed up and had an energy that Helo missed. At first he could not work out why but then realised that Alekto had a cheeky humour that reminded him of Sharyn, even as a cylon she still had that spark but since he could only see her with a wall between them he was missing that one on one contact. He thought that maybe Alekto would want to hang out for a bit longer, especially since they were both outsiders in their own way but then Kravell had intervened. It was as if Helo had ceased to exist, he could see that Alekto had been shocked to see the man, but then excited and totally ambivalent of Helo. Gods, he had just spent several hours and almost every joke in his repertoire to cheer the young lieutenant up and he is dismissed without even a thought.

Lieutenant-Colonel Lucian Kravell had been introduced to the pilots yesterday; the story was that he was transferring from special ops on the Pegasus to pilot duty on the Galactica – thus his rank that was usually reserved for ground troops. He was handsome, in a smooth kind of way, this much Helo noticed but he had a coldness that was distracting. Some people could be cool and quite unrevealing but Kravell just looked at you with empty eyes, as if you were less than nothing. It was spooky, as if the man would kill you and consider it a hindrance to some other important thing he had to do. Helo shivered at the thought, although why he imagined Kravell killing him was beyond reasoning – they were on the same team after-all.

What was also noticeable was that Kravell had not looked at Alekto that way, Helo had seen the pain and what he thought was relief in the Lt-Colonel's eyes. Obviously the men had known each other on Pegasus and were eager to get to know each other again; strangely Helo felt a tinge of jealousy, he told himself it was not because he was interested in Alekto – it was that even two apparent outsiders had someone. Yet Helo was for all intents alone, he had Sharon but what kind of relationship could he hope for – especially when she may be thrust out an air-lock at any time. A part of Helo, a nasty part, wanted to bash upon the door and interrupt whatever it was they were doing, to take just some of their joy away. He didn't, he knew it would only leave him feeling worse – so instead he stalked back along the corridor, there had been drinking in the common room and he was intent on joining in, whether they wanted him there or not.

XOXOXO

The two men spent the first half of the trip in silence, one because his head was splitting from a mark X hangover and the other because he had not flown for months and was just enjoying the sensation.

Finally Helo felt the throbbing receding and turned to his 'trainee' Lt Colonel Kravell, naturally Helo had been stuck with him, just another way for the admiral to punish him. Helo knew he was being paranoid but this just had to be a joke, although after some standard manoeuvres he had to admit that Kravell was a good pilot – he flew efficiently and made few errors – not bad for someone who had apparently been off the flight roster for months. What surprised Helo even more was the joyful smile that had spread across the Lt Colonel's face, it had even reached his eyes – the first time he had noticed a positive emotion from the man.

Helo had to grin, "Enjoying yourself Colonel, perhaps I should give you some time alone – I could just pop out the back," he even started to undo the restraint but Kravell's smile didn't even waver as he answered, "I prefer human company – even yours."

"I'm not sure how to take that," retorted Helo.

"What, a back-handed compliment or you don't know how to take human company?"

Helo's jovial mood faded away, "Back-off sir, human or cylon Sharon has still done more for this fleet than anyone on Pegasus."

"Indeed," Lucian looked sideways at Helo and approved of his answer, he himself had no love for the cylons but then his fondness for all things Pegasus had definitely been diminished, well maybe all things but one. Persuading Adama to transfer Marcus over had been easy enough, he explained the young man might be in danger once they found out Lucian still lived and the Galactica needed to boost their pilot pool. In fact the admiral had been so accommodating that Lucian's suspicions were aroused and feared some kind of set-up but then he had been informed of the recent internal attacks by cylon sympathisers, exactly the kind of enemy the Furies had been created to defend against. That was why Adama wanted Lucian 'reactivated', they already had measures to combat cylon infiltrators but humans willing to sabotage the fleet was something else, something they had trouble fighting without over-stretching the military.

The Furies had been created to combat such internal strife shortly after the last Cylon war; Kravell himself had only ever heard rumours until they recruited him in his final year. Now he knew how badly they had been needed, how even without an outside enemy humans were quite willing to destroy themselves. Criminals, terrorists, activists and sympathisers – he had met and dealt with every kind but there were always more, even now with civilisation destroyed there were those still willing to destroy what was left for their own selfish reasons. A part of Kravell recognised that he might be becoming one of them, while willing to help Adama he still had his own plans, plans that may well put the fleet in danger. He wanted revenge so badly that even seeing Marcus again had not totally relieved the pain, the fact was he wanted them dead – and top of his list was the current commander of the Pegasus.

Adama had to know that he might go down this path, so Helo had been assigned to 'assist' Kravell, that he was on a leash was certain but the Lt. Colonel was not sure how much Helo knew. Time to start testing it out.

"You know what to do when we get there Lieutenant?"

Helo rolled his eyes, "It has been made clear, watch and listen but stay out of the way."

"It may be necessary for me to speak with informants privately – will that be a problem?" This was integral to Kravell's plan; he had to be able to approach the leader of the black market without Helo knowing about it, as far as Helo knew they were just sounding out a few contacts, tracing some leads.

"My orders were to never let you out of my sight."

Damn! Kravell knew now that if he pushed the issue Helo would know something was up, he would just have to go along and find an opportunity later, "Fine, but we're going to a bar – I'll still be 'in sight' but just stay back," Kravell lined up the raptor with the target ship, "Your whole demeanour screams military and this is nothing more than a fact finding mission, remember – tread softly and try to recall just who is the ranking officer here."

"Aye sir," said Helo with just a twist of sarcasm and Kravell smirked at the Lieutenant's discomfort, he should not have enjoyed provoking the man but that little part of him felt satisfied by it. In his normal pragmatic way he recognised that he was jealous of the time Helo had been spending with Marcus, that and he was just a little intimidated by the taller man. It was not his physical superiority but the fact that the man had got a cylon to fall in love with him – this made him both intriguing and unique, qualities that Kravell either hated someone for, or fell into lust for. For that reason he would never have chosen Helo to be his back-up, but it seemed the Admiral may just be one step ahead of him – hopefully not too far ahead or this whole trip would end with Kravell back under guard.

"Prepare for docking," said Kravell to Helo before flicking on the inter-ship communications, "Prometheus this is Raptor 210 inbound from Galactica, permission to land."


	5. Chapter 5

**A LITTLE BIT OF FEAR**

_**By AshtakRa**_

**Chapter Five**

Helo swung a quick punch at Lucian's face, but the smaller man ducked to the side and spun, elbowing Helo as he did so, the hit did not so much hurt but made him grunt. The two men had been sparring for about twenty minutes and Helo was beginning to run a short fuse at Lucian's tenacity. The lieutenant outweighed the colonel and had the advantage of height and a longer reach, this allowed Helo to land more hits but Lucian just took it and sapped Helo's strength with short jabs and moves that Helo had never seen.

If not for Lucian's continued recovery and his long weeks of inactivity he probably could have landed more hits but this was balanced by his ability to take a beating, mostly due to the abuse received at the hands of the Pegasus crew – so the two men were fairly even with Helo's strength and Lucian's endurance. The difference was temperament, Lucian just remained impassive regardless of whether he was winning but Helo was starting to lose it.

His ire had been raised when he had raised a gloved hand palm out, a universal 'halt' signal, but Lucian had just batted the hand away and landed a series of blows that left Helo struggling for breath. When Helo had cursed and backed away, yelling about taking a breath the shorter man had just given a quizzical look (hard to see through the face guard but Helo had seen the raised eyebrow) as if to say 'why the frak should I?'

He had tried taunting but there was little or no reaction, he had tried humour and that did have an effect but did not lessen the treatment, Lucian just laughed as he deflected an uppercut and sliced back a kidney punch.

Lucian may have been able to take more hits but his energy reserves were low, his body was still working hard at healing the damage from the torture – the doctor would not have been pleased to see him sparring. The sweat had soaked through his singlet and his vision had just started to blur when Helo connected with his jaw, every other time he had been able to use the momentum to pivot and return the favour but this time his knees just buckled and he went down. Helo's temper had finally broke and with a snarl he laid a combination of five hits, ending with one to the temple that sent Lucian collapsing entirely.

Standing above him, heaving from the effort, Helo stood ready for a counter-attack but soon realised Lucian wasn't moving, "Colonel?" there was no response, the man just lay there, his legs at an awkward angle and his arms spread out, his face was down so Helo could not even tell if his eyes were open, "Frak! Don't tell me I've killed another officer," Helo groaned.

He knelt down and put a hand around and under Lucian's torso, thankfully he could feel the chest moving, he could even feel the heart racing – but the lack of reaction told Helo that the man was out cold. There was no-one else in the room so he was on his own. Helo just had a feeling it was going to be one of those days.

BSGBSGBSGBSG

"What in the name of the gods did you do to him?" demanded Marcus, having entered to find Helo easing Lucian into a sitting position against the wall.

"Just help me will ya."

Marcus rushed over and took hold of Lucian, obviously unconscious, as Helo eased off the face guard and wiped the Colonel's brow with a wet cloth. It had no effect except to smear a line a blood from a cut in his eyebrow.

"You're meant to be assisting him Karl, not bashing him!" an exasperated Marcus said, unsure of how much concern he should show. While he was sure that Helo knew about his and Lucian's relationship that didn't mean he could act like a concerned boyfriend, it would have been unprofessional at best and possibly compromising at worst.

"We were just sparring," replied Helo, "He was doing fine, he had taken worse but then he just suddenly," he just indicated the unconscious man to show his point.

Examining the head wound Marcus muttered angrily, "Did it ever occur to you that he's not up to a boxing match, weeks of being bashed and tortured so you suggest to hit each other-."

"Wait," interrupted Helo, "Torture? Bashings?"

"You didn't know?" Marcus hung his head and had to think quickly, he had just assumed Helo, as Lucian's 'keeper', would have been informed of his imprisonment. Obviously not, and also Lucian had not told him – that meant Marcus could either tell him everything or say nothing and hope Lucian could salvage the situation later. When he looked up and saw the concerned expression on Helo's face Marcus made up his mind.

Helo just sat agape as Marcus relayed the whole story of Lucian's captivity and abuse. At several points he wanted to protest and say it simply wasn't possible, but he himself had been at the receiving end of what Pegasus crew considered 'acceptable punishment' so he had to accept that what Marcus told him was the truth.

"So all that time you thought he was dead, when in reality he was locked up – alone with no hope of escape, I'm sorry; when you found out I can only imagine how you felt." The empathy in Helo's voice was obvious and alleviated some of the anger Marcus was feeling, Helo continued, "And I'm sorry about this, but it wasn't my idea."

"Typical," snorted Marcus, "Doctor says take it easy so he plays it hard – why am I not surprised."

"We'd just been on a mission to the Prometheus, kind of got involved in a bar fight and the Colonel said he was a bit rusty, wanted some training when we got back – I had time so here we are, actually with some of the moves he used I felt more like the one being trained."

"Sounds familiar, he'd rather make you feel like it was you doing the favour than the other way round, wait – how did the fight start?"

Helo shrugged, "dunno, once it started everyone was involved, we just protected ourselves and got out."

Marcus just nodded thoughtfully and took the opportunity to check Lucian's pulse and breathing, while doing so the Colonel's eyes flickered open and a contented smile spread across his face, he reached up a hand to Marcus' face but froze when he saw the glove still on, "Ahh," he murmured, "I'm guessing I lost."

"Yeah, sorry about that sir – got a little carried away," Helo paused as Lucian turned his gaze upon him, he noticed how green those eyes were and how they seemed to delve deep into his soul. Lucian had already proven his ability to rattle the lieutenant and to have a joke at his expense but this gaze was something else. It's as if Helo was caught, frozen – he could not move and just drowned in the Colonel's eyes. It was not sexual, just entrancing like Lucian knew every secret about him and now held some power over him. Helo managed to draw his eyes away from the other's and concentrated on the scar to avoid being caught again, the scar was long and thin – it ran deep and didn't pucker up, indicating that whatever had made it had been very sharp. Helo vowed that one day when he felt brave enough, he would ask the Colonel about that wound.

Lucian didn't look away but dropped the piercing gaze, "Drop the sir, call me Luc – I think knocking me out gains you that privilege."

Turning to Marcus Helo grinned evilly, "Is that how you gained the privilege?"

Marcus just smirked, "Each to their own, my familiarity with Luc is rarely that violent."

"Rarely! I'm sorry I asked."

"Are you?" whispered Lucian as he removed the gloves, "I wonder."

Helo held up both hands, "Enough! As bonding as this experience is I'm beginning to forget who is flirting with whom – Luc," he said, trying out the name for the first time, "We'd better get you to the doc, see how much damage was done."

"Don't bother, I'll fix him up," said Marcus, pulling Lucian to his feet.

Helo was dumbfounded as the Colonel allowed himself to be meekly led from the room without even a protest, "Each to their own indeed," he said to the now empty room.

BSGBSGBSGBSG

Marcus cleaned the wound and applied some medi-plast, "Good as new, I suppose checking for concussion is an argument I will lose."

"Correct," said Lucian, the warmth in his voice belying the terse response.

The young lieutenant sighed, "I doubt that your fighting techniques are rusty, so why the training match?"

Lucian did not answer, instead he moved over to his locker and pulled out a fresh shirt and a black metal box, Marcus eyed him suspiciously – he knew that if Lucian was refusing to talk it was either something Marcus would not like or was part of the mission – or both.

"You like him don't you, you were testing his mettle – seeing how far you can push him?" prodded Marcus.

As he fiddled with the box Lucian grunted, "What makes you think that?"

"Cause you did the same to me."

That made the Colonel sit back and he managed to look slightly abashed, "Maybe, I don't know," he shook his head as if to clear away the confusion, "We have something more important to discuss."

"Your mission to the Prometheus was a success then?"

"Indeed," said Lucian as he placed the metal box on the table, "Secure the door."

BSGBSGBSGBSGBSGBSG

Helo stood before the Admiral, he had just had enough time to wash and change before delivering his report, Adama seemed perplexed.

"He spoke with no-one? He was in your sight the whole time?"

"Yes sir, well almost."

"Almost?"

"He whispered something to the barman, but it was only for a few seconds – then the fight broke out, we both had to throw a few punches and Kravell tackled some big guy but it was getting out of hand so we left."

Adama rubbed his jaw thoughtfully, "He goes to the trouble of visiting the ship but doesn't make any contacts?"

The question seemed rhetorical but Helo continued his report, "It seemed better to leave, the Prometheus is not exactly 'fleet friendly' at the best of times, and besides we did make some contacts on several other vessels."

The Admiral nodded as if that was the end of the report, and it was but Helo needed to know some things. "If I can ask sir – I know about Luc's, I mean Lt. Colonel Kravell's imprisonment," he paused, waiting to see if the Admiral would call a halt to the conversation here and now but Adama just waited so Helo continued, "And if the one's responsible are still free then what does that mean? Are we just to ignore it, will we let this kind of thing happen again?" his voice rose in anger at the end, the memory of Sharon's attack still fresh in his mind.

"Not in my fleet it won't," growled Adama and Helo blanched.

"Of course not sir, I wasn't implying – it's just."

"I know," relented the admiral and led Helo to the door, "You just keep an eye on Kravell and let me worry about the others."

PRPRPRPRPR

It was a testament to the ice-cold reserves of the black market chief when he remained impassive even when the multi-toned voice echoed inside his head.

"_Greetings Mr Phelan, I apologise for the unusual method of communication but I am being watched closely and our talk cannot wait, I will give you a moment to seek privacy so we can continue"_

The big man simply clicked his fingers at his deputy and motioned to the office, the two walked inside where Phelan indicated with a sequence of hand motions that they were being monitored and he was to find the source, the deputy hurried to do so.

"_Do not bother to trace this transmission, you will be unsuccessful – I have implanted you with a sub-dermal probe, it will dissolve in a matter of hours, but be aware that I can use it to cause great pain, so we can do this the easy way, or the hard way. Say yes if you understand"_

Phelan clenched his jaw, refusing to give into even this simple request – his personality just would not allow anyone control without a fight.

"_The hard way then"_

The resulting high frequency brought Phelan to his knees, the pain all the more terrible because it had no origin, no place to fight. It just reverberated through his head, like a migraine but many times greater. It only lasted for a second but seemed like minutes, Phelan was left gasping for breath and only just managed to get up and collapse into his chair before it hit again, this time for five seconds. That left him breaking out in a sweat with his nails scraping into the desk top.

"_Let us try again, do you understand – yes or no"_

"Yes," he gasped through clenched teeth, vowing to find whoever this was and make sure they suffered ten times what he had just gone through.

"_Excellent. Now listen carefully for I must be brief. You and I Mr Phelan have a similar interest in a certain individual; to be precise we both want him dead. You know of whom I speak but I want you to say the name, just to be sure"_

Phelan said the name and the voice laughed softy, _"yes Mr Phelan, now let us discuss why we need each other's help" _the conversation was short, as promised, but by the end Phelan decided that although he would still find and destroy this man, for the moment he would be useful.

BSGBSGBSGBSGBSGBSG

"You will have to go to the Pegasus and make sure everything is arranged, but be back here before the deed is done," explained Lucian to Marcus as he packed up the box.

Marcus nodded and took the box, putting it back in the locker, "Are you sure it was him?"

Rubbing his eyes from fatigue Lucian answered, "There is no doubt, he was the last person I approached before they put me in that hole – Fisk betrayed me, betrayed us; and how many people died because of his cowardice, how many will yet die. This is not about revenge, it is our duty – Adama won't even punish my jailers, he'll never go after Fisk so it is up to us to protect the fleet. I made the mistake of trying to go softly with Cain when I just should've shot the bitch in the head, no mistakes this time."

"Security will be tight after the Admiral's death, getting Phelan into command will not be easy," said Marcus as he returned to Lucian and leaned into his back, draping his arms across the Colonel's chest. He could feel the thump thump of Lucian's heart through the chest that was still too thin, as much as the Fury had been working out it was taking a long time to get back to his pre-imprisoned physique, which if Marcus was truthful was damned impressive. The man had still not showered after his boxing match and smelled of sweat and blood, neither of which lessened Marcus' growing lust – if anything it increased it.

Lucian stroked the other man's hands, "You will do fine Marc, the most important thing is to be in and out without being noticed – my only regret is that I cannot do it myself."

"Not about revenge huh?"

The Colonel leaned his head back and brought his lips close to Marcus', "Maybe just a little bit, I never claimed to be a priest," and he quickly kissed the lieutenant before he could make a smart remark, sometimes it was the only way to shut the young man up.


	6. Chapter 6

**A LITTLE BIT OF FEAR**

_**By AshtakRa**_

**Chapter Six**

The former convict stepped into the room and stopped cold, his instinct for survival told him he was not alone, and the very fact that he had installed enough security systems to prevent such a breach told him just what kind of person he may well be dealing with.

"If you're here to kill me I assume I would be dead already, so whatever you want make it quick – my bodyguards get nervous when I don't check in regularly," that should at least make the assailant think twice.

Instead of an answer the lights in the room went out, the emergency ones did not come on so he was left in the dark, in that pitch blackness a sound emerged that was not from the ship: a shick shick, the sound of a knife being sharpened, the sound brought back a very poignant memory and his breath caught. Very few things could truly frighten him but this particular scenario did, if only because he had faced it before – and that was not something he wanted to repeat.

The shicking stopped and he waited, eventually a voice spoke, and the tone and tenure were exactly as he remembered, "I knew when I spared your life the first time Mr Zarek that I would eventually find a use for you."

Zarek's heart skipped a beat, he had faced many fears in his life and had overcome most of them, this was one that still gave him nightmares, but that was no reason to lose his cool, "I am a great believer in fate," he responded, "To be visited by the fates once and live is a blessing, twice may mean I have more to offer fate than you can offer me."

The lights came back on and he found himself standing before a man, shorter than himself and dressed in a black uniform with red trim. The uniform was unlike any in the fleet, incorporating sleek body armour with skin tight metallic black material. Several pouches and tubes hinted at hidden weapons and technology beyond that given to regular soldiers. The red and black pattern would have been enough to remind Zarek of his last encounter with a Fury, the added bonus was the fact that he had met this particular agent of the fates before. He had short black hair, olive complexion and piercing green eyes with an obvious facial scar. His dead-pan expression spoke of both a disdain for life and for Zarek's discomfort, a discomfort because the last time Zarek had encountered this man had resulted in his imprisonment.

"If there was one plus side to the destruction of the colonies it was your death," hissed Zarek, "Now even that pleasure has been taken from me – I imagine you're here to finish the job."

Lucian grimaced and stood up, stalking around the terrified man, "Your death would accomplish little, much like last time. One thing you have to learn is that people like yourself are often more useful alive than dead."

Zarek tensed at Lucian's proximity but found the courage to respond, "President Roslin might disagree."

"I do not work for the president, I never did – you may think you know about the Fates, but you cannot possibly imagine how much we allowed to go unchecked – we were never here to protect the regime, we safeguarded freedom itself, I wonder if you understand such a concept."

"I have spent my life fighting for freedom," protested Zarek, "They called me terrorist but my battle was just."

The Fury moved closer to Zarek, his body invading the man's personal space, "Hence the fact that your heart still beats, and now I need that spirit to assist me; as once I spared your life I need the favour owed."

"Life spared?" spluttered Zarek, "My life was destroyed in prison-."

Lucian chuckled ominously, "Of your inner circle you trusted me the most – if I had wanted you dead a blade across your jugular in the quiet of night would have sufficed."

Tom Zarek shivered involuntarily, it was all too true. The man that stood all too close to him had once been a beloved confident, prior to the betrayal. Zarek would never have known but Lucian had come to him in jail, not exactly gloating but just to let him know how it had all gone wrong. After that Zarek had tried to find all that he could find about Furies and the organisation known as the Fates. The information was surprisingly limited.

What he had found out chilled him to the bone. A section of the military that apparently answered to no-one, they operated according to a set of rules set out during the first cylon war. The general rule was that in times of extreme fear people would make extreme choices, maybe even destroy the very society they belonged to in order to survive; the fates existed to combat such events. The terrible truth was that in order to fight such things the Fates had to be willing to do things more terrible than even the most fervent sociopath could imagine.

An organisation that had assassinated presidents, wiped out entire settlements and if Zarek's Intel was accurate, made covert deals with cylons to further their aims. The man that Zarek now faced was the personification of that section, and just because he may be the last one did not give Zarek any peace of mind.

The door opened behind Lucian and Zarek smiled, "Told you I'd be missed," he jumped back as two then four bulky security guards stepped into the room with weapons drawn, "I suggest you stand down, my guards will not hesitate to shoot you."

The Fury turned to face the guards and slowly raised his hands, "Gentlemen I give this one chance, leave the room and live another day."

Two of the men laughed, one pointed his gun at Lucian's head while the fourth moved to grab one of Lucian's arms, the moment his hand made contact the Fury swung into action. He snapped back the man's wrist and as the injured guard raised his head to scream Lucian pushed him into the other two guards. The one with the raised gun smoothly stepped out of the way and sighted the weapon but grunted as a knife suddenly appeared in his chest, the gun fell to the floor and he soon followed.

Lucian leapt into the three guards, another knife in one hand he thrust and swiped, cutting a jugular – stabbing a kidney and slicing tendons. The three never had a chance to respond and now lay in their own blood, the Fury stood above them breathing heavily – the thrill of the kill swept through him, his senses were alive and he felt like he could hear and feel every small movement in the room; from the laboured breathing of the one guard still living to the clicking of a damaged ventilator fan.

One sound he definitely heard was the snick of a safety switch being released, he spun around and swayed slightly as he found Zarek pointing a gun at him from across the room, "You're quick _Fury_ but I doubt you can make it over here before I put a couple of rounds in you."

The Colonel shook his head, trying to bring Zarek into focus but his vision was blurred, that combined with his sudden fatigue told him his recovery was not yet over – he had a stun spike in his wrist weapon pack, but without an eyeball on his target it was next to useless.

"I did not come here to kill you Zarek, but to offer you an opportunity – an opportunity to increase your power base."

"You have my attention," Zarek answered but did not lower the weapon, "Now convince me why I should let you live."

Lucian leaned against the wall, not trusting his legs to keep him standing, "You want a larger slice of the black-market – I can give you that and all it will take is for you to give one man a little snippet of information."

Zarek laughed, "Really, and Phelan will just roll over if I do this?"

"No Mr Zarek," said Lucian evenly, knowing that he had hooked the man with the promise of power, "If you do this one little thing then Phelan will be dead, and the market wide open – so tell me, does that interest you?"

"Yes it does, but I still don't trust you Fury."

"The success of this plan does not require trust Mr Zarek, just an innate ability to twist it."

RPTRPTRPTRPTR

Helo snuck another look at the Colonel, when it was obvious he noticed Helo whistled softly and Lucian glared at him quizzically. Helo gave a toothy grin, "Just admiring the get up sir, never seen anything like it – it's very…tight."

Lucian just remained silent but his glare turned to thoughtful introspection, and it made Helo slightly uncomfortable; not the first time he had felt somehow caught out by the Colonel, "I mean it seems put together smoothly," Lucian's mouth twitched in amusement and Helo blushed. He wondered for probably the twentieth time how this man managed to twist everything he said without even speaking, "How did you find the time to get it made and why did you need it today?"

"It is the official field uniform of a Fury, I had it and some other items stashed on the Pegasus; Marcus brought them over for me. As for why today, I needed it to remind a man that some things haven't changed – I think he got the message. Did you meet with the supplier while I was gone?"

"Yes, and no she has not sold any unusual amounts of the supplies we found in the separatist stash; and don't change the subject, the uniform…why black and red?"

"To hide the blood," said Lucian totally deadpan, "And because it's looks so fracken good, it would suit you Karl."

"I'll stick with fleet standard thanks."

"That suits you too, take a closer look at this," Lucian passed Helo the insignia pin from his lapel. Helo took it gingerly and had to bring it close to make out the carving, it was an inverted triangle with three heads sticking out; each was female but of different ages, one young then one mature and one lined with old age.

"The three fates," explained Lucian, "The spirited youth, the experienced adult and the wise elder – it is an ancient myth but seems somehow suitable for the tasks we perform."

Helo had never heard of the myth but was somewhat intrigued, and he did wonder if he would look good in the uniform.

The colonel took the insignia back and went back to staring at the stars, it was obvious to Helo that the Fury was tired but it seemed more than that. He had been working with Lucian for weeks now and between their flights throughout the fleet, the combat training and Helo's regular duties he barely had time for anything else, even seeing Sharon had to be slipped in sometime between dinner and evening training. The pace and constant updating of intelligence data seemed endless and it made Helo wonder if that was why Lucian seemed to switch himself off, if only to have those few precious moments to yourself.

The hand to hand combat training had been gruelling, even after he had knocked Lucian unconscious. Expecting the Colonel to take it easy next time Helo had held back, and found him put firmly on his own arse. Then Lucian had started showing him how to use some of the techniques to take on multiple assailants, some of the other pilots had joined in to make up the numbers then a few stayed to learn from the colonel. Helo and Lucian's nightly one on one had turned into a class with ten and sometimes more students, Marcus had been convinced to assist since he also knew Lucian's fighting techniques; that had brought a lot of respect from pilots who had been treating the young man somewhat like a little brother. Now they went to Marcus for advice on combat and he lapped it up. The three of them, Marcus, Lucian and Helo usually debriefed late into the night, collating the data and preparing for the next day's mission.

Karl Agathorn had rarely been worked so hard and was loving it, it was the most useful he had felt since returning from Caprica. They had already headed off several sabotage attempts and even two mutinies, the admiral was pleased and thanks to the fight training Helo felt more apart of the pilot group than ever before. The problem was that Lucian's melancholy could hit at almost any time. The man had an incredible sense of humour, immense patience and could change his personality at any point on a mission to suit the situation. Often though, when they were alone, the Colonel grew depressed; nothing that Helo could point to but he had had enough low points recently to recognise the signals. As he watched the fury watching the stars he could see something other than the mission was going through his mind, Helo did not know exactly what was bothering Lucian but he knew one sure-fire way to get a smile, because there was a time when the colonel was never melancholy, and that was when Marcus was in the room.

"Alekto will be back from Pegasus by now," he used Marcus' call sign in an attempt to be discreet, "You think he'll be up for a midnight round of ambrosia?"

It was a feeble attempt but the smile that spread across Lucian's face was one of anticipation, not derision, "I would say the chances are good Karl…" Lucian hesitated and Helo was a little surprised, the man seemed to want to say something but usually he just spat it out. The colonel rubbed his jaw in a very Adama like action, "We make quite a threesome don't you think?"

Usually a comment like that coming from Lucian would have made Helo laugh but he noticed the seriousness in the Fury's voice and just nodded.

Lucian continued, "Yes, we make a good team – but a good team must but be able to operate even when crippled. A loss of one person should not end what can be a great thing, in the business we are in such a thing is more probable than most; what I'm trying to," he sighed heavily and put his hand on Helo's shoulder, "I like you Karl, you are loyal and brave and will put what you believe above what you are told, you are someone I can rely upon."

"Is this where you send me on a suicide mission?" smirked Helo, but he had got the wrong end of the stick.

"No Karl, something I've been working on is reaching conclusion and the outcome is…uncertain. If I do not return I hope that the friendship you and Marcus have will continue, I will admit that the ease with which you two get on made me jealous at first," he chuckled softly, "I considered breaking your kneecaps, but am now glad that I resisted that particular temptation."

Helo went to laugh then realised that Lucian was probably serious.

"You do like Marcus don't you Karl?" Helo was fairly certain what Lucian meant by 'like' and it was not the conversation he wanted to have right now.

"He's become a good friend in a very short time," he answered non-committally. Truth was he did not really understand or want to understand his feelings for Marcus. Helo was not a stranger to love between men; although never having indulged he was aware that attraction for him sometimes crossed the gender divide. His growing attraction for the younger man had been curtailed by the fact that Lucian and he were together, and he quite believed the Fury would have turned him inside out if he even looked funny at his man. Now the guy was practically giving him the go-ahead, once he was dead of course.

Lucian patted his shoulder and withdrew, "An interesting if cryptic response, I must be rubbing off on you – I wonder…"

They were interrupted as Galactic requested flight details and they prepared for landing. Although it was still very much in the air as they docked, trained and met up to have the promised drink with Marcus – neither man brought it up again that night.

For Helo to discuss it any more was to admit he may indeed like Marcus, and quite apart from the fact that he was male there was Sharon to consider – betrayal was still betrayal be it man or woman.

Lucian decided he had made the necessary move, a man like Helo needed to be nudged in the right direction, not shoved. Also the Fury did no fully want to face what the fallout of his plan would be on those he cared for, revenge still burned deeply – strong enough to push other needs and wants to the back. People needed to pay for their crimes and he would make sure they did not escape Fate.

_Authors note: I never intended to let the story go this long but felt i had to set the scene and flesh out the characters more, while canon characters are known my own are not, so in order to know their motivation takes a little more interaction - if only for my own ability to write them. Yes I do have an end game planned and it will involve good guys, bad guys, cylons, death and sacrifice - not necessarily in that order. If you have read this far I thank you and promise some more action and angst to come. How many more chaptes? Only a couple I hope._

_TBC_


	7. Chapter 7

**A LITTLE BIT OF FEAR**

_**By AshtakRa**_

**Chapter Seven**

Apollo stalked into the chamber and glared at the group before him, one by one they turned and noticed their commanding officer – infuriating him even more was the fact they turned to Lucian before standing at attention.

He pointed a shaking finger at the Fury, "You stay – everyone else out now." The tone implied no argument and the pilots hurried to obey, all except Helo of course – how did he know that would happen? Didn't really matter of course since he was just as involved as Lucian, hopefully that did not mean Helo would side with the Fury if push came to shove.

Even though Apollo was obviously incensed Lucian seemed unconcerned and sauntered over to his bag and rummaged around, bringing up a towel. He well needed it, his singlet was soaked in sweat and revealed that he was finally filling out a little, although his frame was still slightly skeletal.

"I killed a man today," said Apollo between clenched teeth, "And I think you know who and I think you know why."

All emotion and signs of fatigue faded from Lucian's face and he stood tall, holding the towel in both hands, "That I know who and why doesn't bother you Apollo, you want to know how," he walked slowly to the middle of the room until he was only an arm length away from Apollo, "How could I do it – how could I put you in that situation?"

"Yes!" hissed Apollo.

Lucian grinned but it never reached his eyes, "Because I knew you'd do it, I knew you would kill for a higher cause."

"Frak your higher cause shit!" spat Apollo, "I am not an assassin – and I am not your patsy."

"The great Apollo," snorted Lucian, "Always the best, always the righteous – a hard act to live up to."

Apollo was momentarily confused, what was the fury talking about and why did the room suddenly lurch when he said it?

Helo watched the two men warily, unsure why the situation had suddenly become deadly, neither had changed their stance but he could feel it. See it in the way Apollo suddenly tensed and how Lucian went still, what happened next was almost too fast to follow but there was a flurry a hands and then each man had a weapon trained on the other – only a hands breadth from each other's faces.

Apollo blinked away the sweat, "Always come armed into the training room Lucian?"

The fury grinned, "I had a feeling I might need it."

The guns never wavered and Helo gulped, unsure what to do he simply remained quiet, afraid that any attempt to calm things would have the opposite effect.

"This is how we first met, you holding a gun on me," whispered Apollo, he knew this was ludicrous, he was here to have it out with Lucian not kill him – but then perhaps that was the only way to end an argument with a fury.

"Wrong," answered Lucian, "We met a long time before that."

"I think I would have remembered."

Lucian ran a finger down the scar, "I wasn't as memorable back then, and besides – your brother had issues with me meeting the family."

"Why would he-," Apollo paused as realisation struck, "That's not possible, he was with Starbuck."

The Fury shrugged, "I always did like to share."

"Lies," murmured Apollo, "You're whole existence is built on lies," his anger and volume built, "What kind of mother-frakker would use my dead brother to distract me – and even if I believed that he was with a guy – he would never be with a prick like you!" His gun hand began to shake with the strain and the men glared at each other for several moments before Lucian finally lowered his weapon.

"No more lies Lee, I cared deeply for your brother – ."

"You couldn't care for anyone."

"It was a different time, I was a different man."

"No," Apollo shook his head, the gun still in Lucian's face, "You use people, you use them and discard them to attain your sick goals – you're nothing more than a monster in a uniform."

"Lee," protested Helo, "That's not true, I've seen how he cares for Marcus."

"Stay out of this Helo," growled Apollo.

Lucian sighed and stepped closer, bringing the barrel into his forehead, "Is this what you want, kill the monster – get rid of the guilt."

With his finger caressing the trigger Apollo grimaced, "You are dangerous, your revenge could cost us everything."

"Then shoot, destroy me – destroy what you hate, kill what you fear most!"

"I don't fear you."

"Yes you do – you fear me because you think you may one day be me, executing Phelan was a beginning for you, and I am the end – shoot Apollo! Make that terrible choice – the lesser of two evils, KILL ME!" He stepped forward again, forcing Apollo back, "Kill me because I will not stop, those animals that tortured me, those frakkers who raped me – they will die by my hand, I promise you that. By letting me live the blood will be on your hands, can you live with that Apollo?"

"Did my brother love you?"

The question threw Lucian right off and he could not answer, he felt sure that Apollo would shoot, then he asks that question – so similar to the very same question Kara had once asked.

"He loved him," it was Starbuck, she had entered and heard enough to answer Lee's question, "He loved him and died loving him."

Apollo glanced over at Starbuck, "You knew? You knew about this?"

She laughed, that half laugh half sneer that she was so good at, "How the frak do you think Luc got the scar, unlike him I didn't want to share."

Finally Apollo lowered the gun and just shook his head, it was all just too much, "Where do I go from here?" he whispered.

Lucian placed a hand on his shoulder, "You do what needs to be done, what has always needed to be done."

"And what's that?"

"Kill the bad guys."

_TBC..._

_Sorry it took so long, busy and all that and this was a chapter I wanted to get right. Also I have been watching season 3 and it has changed some of what I wanted to do. Stay tuned..._


	8. Chapter 8

**A Little Bit of Fear**

_**By AshtakRa**_

**_Disclaimer: _**I do not have any claim on any characters from Battlestar Galactica but I'll use them anyway - for absolutely no profit, just the thrill and pleasure.

**_Warning:_** This will contain slash, if you don't like it - I don't really care.

**_Author's Note: _**I have been too kind with characters before, this time I want them to be just a little unlikeable, at least to begin with.

**_Reviews: _**Yes please, feed me seymour!

**_Fandom: _**Battlestar Galactica 21st century style, season 2 set after Black Market.

**_Characters: _**Most of them at some point but mostly the pilots and of course Apollo and Helo, and also a few creations of my own.

**Chapter Eight**

BSGBSGBSGBSGBSGBSGBSGBSG

"So you're what gets Helo all hot and bothered?"

The human did not answer the cylon's question but merely walked over and sat next to her on the cot. This unnerved her slightly, apart from Helo few people would enter her 'cell' without an armed escort – this guy not only did that but sat right next to her, didn't he know she could probably kill him with just one arm?

"I was born on Leonis but spent most of my young years on the moon of Trantor-."

"Is this a new form of torture," she tried to interrupt but he just continued.

"It was very oppressive living in such a closed community, you had to think alike, act alike and behave," he waved his hands expressively, "As the gods intended."

Against her better judgement Sharon decided to play along, it wasn't as if she had other things to do, "So let me guess, you didn't play nice?"

Lucian scoffed, "Absolutely not, the more they pushed their doctrine on me the more I resisted – my parents loved me but could not understand me, my brothers were embarrassed by their 'eccentric' younger sibling and the priests wanted to 'cleanse' me of my _impurities_."

"So you escaped and joined the fleet?"

"Not for a long time – getting off Trantor was like escaping prison, it can be done but takes time. No Sharon I had to bide my time, pretend to conform at least a little and wait for the chance – the chance to get away from that fracked up moon with its religious zealots and all their persecution."

Sharon nodded with a smile, "You think like everyone else, that I am here to destroy you – that I am waiting for my chance."

The man made eye contact with her, she marvelled at the deep emerald colour and thought about her earlier comment, perhaps this guy really did get Helo hot and bothered. He was definitely good looking enough, especially with the scar, it gave him a roguish appeal that would appeal to some – but not her, one rogue was enough in her life. He was wearing standard fleet dress, fit properly and buttoned in all the right places – his insignia polished and even his hair seemed styled to some military instruction. Although his whole appearance spoke of precision and efficiency some sixth sense made Sharon guess that underneath this polished exterior was an unstable individual, dangerous and unpredictable.

Helo had told her all about Lucian Kravell, and she could tell by the way Helo had spoke that this new officer from Pegasus had an impact, good or bad only time would tell. The cylon in her recognised a threat and she had been on guard from the moment he entered the room, the Fates were the one organisation they had been unable to infiltrate before the war. That meant they were an unknown and that was as dangerous as a cylon defector, Sharon mentally chuckled at the similarity.

Lucian continued, "I think you are waiting for 'a' chance, what it is may surprise even you."

"Why would you say that?" she said sarcastically.

"Because I know what it is to hate something, and to-, let me explain another way – what do you know of Trantor, apart from the religious nuts."

Sharon shrugged, Trantor had not been a target of military importance, intelligence on it was scarce.

"It's fracken wet," grumbled Lucian, "Water everywhere, it rains everyday and I never saw a completely blue sky until I went to Caprica – and I hated that rain, hated it so much. Waking up to it, sleeping to it; everything was done to accommodate that bloody rain and I was so fracken happy to escape it."

"So?"

Lucian sighed, "It only took one nuke to wipe out the entire population of that tiny little moon – everyone related to me died in a flash, buts it's not them I will miss-."

"It is the rain," Sharon understood, "Knowing you can never sleep under that rain again eats away at you."

"Yes," Lucian once again turned that gaze onto her, "I do not think you are here to destroy us, you might be imprisoned here but I bet there is no place you would rather be."

He was right, "Pathetic isn't it?"

The Fury looked around the enclosure, "A little but then I am sure Karl makes it worth while, the love of a good man and all."

There was something in the way he said it, something that told Sharon that this human really did understand, that perhaps he could be trusted.

"Okay Lucian, you've hooked me – what is it you need to know?"

Lucian smiled and it was not a smile of victory or malice, just one that said he was not asking too much, "Sharon, I need you to tell me about cylon communication protocols."


	9. Chapter 9

**A Little Bit of Fear**

_**By AshtakRa**_

**_Disclaimer: _**I do not have any claim on any characters from Battlestar Galactica but I'll use them anyway - for absolutely no profit, just the thrill and pleasure.

**_Warning:_** This will contain slash, if you don't like it - I don't really care.

**_Author's Note: _**I have been too kind with characters before; this time I want them to be just a little unlikeable, at least to begin with.

**_Reviews: _**Yes please, feed me Seymour!

**_Fandom: _**Battlestar Galactica 21st century style, season 2 set after Black Market.

**_Characters: _**Most of them at some point but mostly the pilots and of course Apollo and Helo, and also a few creations of my own.

**Chapter Nine**

_**: The Ruse**_

_from Karl (Helo) Agathorn's perspective_

If you had asked me, when I first returned from Caprica, what I would expect to do within the fleet there are many answers I could have given you – what I have ended up doing is definitely not one of them. I am a pilot for fracks sake, and more navigator than pilot – just ask anyone! Yet here I am being a part-time spy and spending more time tracking down saboteurs and traitors than fighting cylons.

It is all part of the larger battle the Admiral tells me, Apollo says soldiers must do what is required, Starbuck laughs and passes me another drink and Lucian… Lucian tells me little but has probably taught me the most. He has taught me that the greatest enemy is the loss of our values, our beliefs. Not the belief in the gods, or the belief in any other supernatural force but belief in humanity and what we stand for.

There have always been elements in humanity that are evil and destructive, the cylons claim that is why we needed to be eliminated. I never believed that, still don't but after dealing with the people in this fleet that would risk our survival just to gain some extra power, or just some extra money – I am beginning to see where the cylons may have got their ideas.

What does humanity stand for, why should we go on and survive? I cannot quantify that answer; I don't think I can even properly put it in words. I once thought I could, I would have used words like freedom, equality, courage, imagination, and love. But the people closest to me have shown me that the answer, the reason that we should continue to exist, is a lot more complicated than a few buzz words.

Sharon has shown me that it is not just humans that can love, and she has more courage than anyone I have ever met – yet she is a cylon, a fact my shipmates will never let me forget. If a cylon can be better at the things I once thought were intrinsically human then what about the other things. Do we really have freedom? Is equality really possible or just an ideal to feed the masses? Is imagination just there so we can escape reality?

Lucian has shown me more than anyone else that there is no template to categorise a good person, a proper human being. He would die for me, that he has just proven – yet he would kill me if he thought it served the greater good. He is imaginative and creative, his plans show that and I have caught him listening to music, lost in it – yet he can be cold and logical and totally unimpressed with simple pastime pleasures. He claims an unwavering duty to protect the fleet but I know that he has methodically killed certain Pegasus crew members for none other than his own revenge.

I know because I have let him do it, because I have helped him. I could claim ignorance but deep down I have always been aware of his hidden agenda, I notice things – things others would not see. It is the reason he has been training me, the reason he uses me on missions. Surely he knew I would pick up on his hidden motives, maybe it is something he factored into his plans, it would be something Lucian would do.

I saw him jab the big guy in that bar fight, the big guy who it turned out Apollo ended up killing. I noticed that he sent Marcus to the Pegasus shortly before Fisk was murdered. He made deals with half the shadowy figures in the fleet, and caught or killed the rest. He has turned some of President Roslin's closest advisors into informants and has even got the command room crew giving him classified information. He got to Sharon, I still don't know what was said but soon after that the Pegasus raptor crews were ambushed and killed, and we almost lost the Pegasus. Did he know? Did he believe his actions would put the entire Battlestar in danger?

I never asked, not because I wasn't sure but because I know he caused it, know what he did and what risk he put us all in. I did not have to face him with it because I already agreed with him. I checked the raptor roster, somehow Lucian got the ships to be crewed by just about every person that had imprisoned and tortured him. How did I get those names? Thanks to Lucian's training and lapse security on the Admiral's part it wasn't too hard.

Lucian got really drunk after the ambush and resulting battle where the Pegasus barely survived. I have never seen him drink more than a few fingers but that time he put away a bottle and a half. Perhaps he was celebrating the demise of the people he had despised since being freed, but I was there and it was guilt. Was he feeling guilt over the raptor crews? Oh no, it was for the late commander of the Pegasus, Barry Garner. Lucian had nothing against the man, had never even met him – but his actions had caused Garner's death.

The fury may have been able to organise the death of dozens without batting an eye, and he could coldly slice a man up in a bar fight – but he did have feelings and strong emotions. He was complicated and that is how I now see the human race. We are complex organisms in a complex society, with wants and needs, loves and hates and choice: the most important thing we can ever have in our lives… choice.

We must go on, not because we deserve to and not because we have to. We must because if we want to go on making choices we must first live to face the consequences.

Lucian had made a choice and it was probably going to cost him his life. How it all happened is a result of a day that began really well, for all of us.

_**10 hours earlier…**_

Helo whistled as he strode down the corridor, his good mood a result of having half an hour alone with Sharon – the first time they had been allowed actual privacy. While it had been fantastic to get the physical need taken care of it had been the intimate moments they could finally share without fear of eavesdropping. All the little things he could finally say to her, and her him – their hopes and fears, even gossip and hearsay.

As he bounded into the crew quarters he quickly glanced around the room, seeing no-one he walked across and tore open Lucian's curtain.

"Time to be up Colonel – oh Gods!" Helo blanched, he should have known that Lucian wouldn't be alone.

"Marcus," he mumbled as the younger lieutenant rolled over, allowing Lucian to swing his legs around and stand up.

Marcus mumbled an answer but almost instantly fell back asleep – if Helo remembered correctly the lieutenant had only just come off shift half an hour ago. His cheeks reddened as he realised how much more compromising the position may have been had he come to wake Lucian when he was meant to. Glancing at Lucian as he dressed Helo noticed a smirk on the fury's face and realised the man had probably planned it that way. His humour at times was decidedly odd, but one that Helo did appreciate, it reminded him of Starbuck before the war.

Little was said as the pair made their way to the hanger, apart from Helo giving Lucian some sideways glances. The Lieutenant Colonel had finally physically recovered from his imprisonment on board Pegasus, his body had filled out and been refined by hours spent in the gym. His injuries were fully healed and even the haunted look in his eyes had finally receded. He had let his hair grow, probably to better fit in when undercover in the civilian ships – in Helo's opinion it suited the shorter man: he had recently stopped berating himself for finding Lucian appealing, and if he was totally honest Marcus as well.

After his interlude with Sharon this morning he had hoped his attraction for his team mates may have lessened, pent up frustration had been a viable excuse after all. Yet seeing the men in bed together had heightened his already overactive imagination: hence the glances he was giving Lucian. Through out all the time they had been spending together Lucian had an unnatural way of knowing what Helo was thinking, it was unnerving but at times extremely useful, especially when on mission. The best thing was that Helo was now beginning to read Lucian almost as easily, exactly when he had begun to realise that he could not remember but Lucian had treated him with a lot more respect of late.

Helo went through pre-flight as Lucian made some last minute checks with Chief Tyrol, the two of them had become fast friends – Helo strongly suspected it was because Lucian was able to source some high quality ambrosia. As the fury entered the Raptor he looked deep in thought and hesitated before snapping on the restraints.

"Something up Colonel?" Helo asked, it was obvious something the Chief said had unnerved Lucian. He just grunted however and snapped in, pointing impatiently at the bay doors. He was never much of a talker in the mornings mused Helo who quickly powered up the engines. Their target today was the _Daru Mozu_, a fuel refining ship, word of a possible mutiny had reached them through an informant – it was unlikely but worth checking out.

_DMDMDMDMDMDMDM_

They had arrived in a civilian shuttle (swapping their Raptor on Cloud Nine) and both dressed in civilian gear, at least that is how it looked. Underneath his work clothes Lucian had at least half a dozen weapons, Helo was not too far behind with two knives, a tazer and a handgun. Between them a formidable arsenal when dealing with normal civilian crews – but the _Daru Mozu _was not an ordinary ship, it had enough tools lying around to easily become weapons. Their problem is that they did not make any mistakes and were still challenged by half a dozen very big opponents.

They had been expected, which means someone had betrayed them – and that meant either the mutiny was a real possibility or had been a ruse to get them here. Right at this point it did not matter why since they were on the run, in an unfamiliar ship without back-up – Helo should have been worried but then he had been on the run from a world full of cylons and he was with a guy who considered all of this in a day's work.

They traversed several decks before finding an empty chamber, deciding they needed to rest and strategise the two crowded into what they thought was a room, unfortunately it was just a storage closet and only had room if they squashed in chest to chest. Helo and Lucian waited, seconds later they heard the pursuers clanger on by.

Helo allowed the held breath to escape and he felt rather than hear Lucian do the same. It was too dangerous to speak but both knew they had to stay put for the time being. Helo had his back to the wall so could see a strip of light through the door, due to that he was effectively blinded to anything inside the closet. He could feel the expansion and contraction of the other man's chest, smell the chemicals they obviously kept in here but that was soon overpowered by the smell of the body pressed against him. Lucian had not had time to shower, and had obviously had a very active morning – but then so had Helo. Maybe because he knew he smelt the same or maybe because he just enjoyed the scent he breathed in deep, the smell of masculine sweat and sex rolled over him.

He could not see Lucian's expression, just the profile of his hair against the outside light but he could imagine the face. Emerald green eyes, one eye framed by a deep thin scar running down the side almost to his mouth. Chiselled chin with a set of thin yet soft lips beneath a long and delicate nose. Skin more olive brown than pale white, he knew from the gym and incidents like this morning that that skin colour covered all of Lucian's body; and what a body. The Battlestar was not short of ripped bodies, male or female – but even among them Lucian stood out. His was not an unblemished specimen, scars and bruises notwithstanding he was shorter than most pilots and not as heavily muscled. It was the way he carried himself, in almost any situation he was cool and calm but ready for action. Not coiled tightly like Apollo but alert and aware – without seeming too jumpy. His was a confidence that spoke of experience, yet as far as Helo knew Lucian had only been with Marcus while on either Battlestar.

The fury had a charm not through smooth talking but blunt humour and intelligence, and then there were the clothes. Surrounded by similar uniforms Lucian would still stand out – he just knew how to wear a jumpsuit, a dress shirt or his fatigues with a style that screamed 'check this out'. It was not just Helo who had noticed, other pilots and deck crew – even apparently several presidential aides had propositioned him. Of course Helo had seen Lucian in his Fury Uniform, and that ended any argument as far as he was concerned. The black armour with red trim, skin tight mesh and moulded chest-plate screamed two things – I am a dangerous bad arse and also a fracken sexy soldier boy.

Helo's thoughts were giving him an uncomfortable erection and he tried to shift but the added friction against the man in front of him made his stomach shudder involuntarily, he laughed at himself while smiling at the pleasant sensation of being so close to Lucian that he could feel the warmth emanating from the other man. He told himself how ridiculous this was; in the middle of a life-threatening situation he was taking time out to get sexually excited in a closet with another man, speaking of which Lucian would probably be disappointed at Helo's lack of professionalism.

Obviously not as silky lips whispered against his ear, "You do know I can see your face – and feel the changes in your body." As he said that Lucian's hand moved around to the small of Helo's back and slipped around his belt, before Helo could say anything Lucian tugged and as Helo lurched forward Lucian locked his lips onto Helo's. A moments hesitation on Helo's part only emboldened Lucian who nipped his bottom lip, Helo hissed and reached around; grabbing the back of Lucian's head he locked the colonel in place and quite ferociously kissed him back. Teeth grazed against each other and tongues clashed as each man tried to assert dominance, neither could achieve it but it was not necessary – moans escaped both men as they finally began something each had lusted for.

The fury changed tack and nuzzled into the other man's neck, Helo's height made it easy and natural in the forced confines of the small room. Helo luxuriated in the feel of an unshaven chin on his throat, the roughness producing chills up his back and he moaned again, this time whispering Lucian's name and moving his hand down the fury's front. The space between them was almost non-existent so Helo had to thrust back in order to reach down and grab Lucian's cock through the soft material of his trousers, he was already hard and hissed in surprise – not expecting Helo to be that bold so quickly. He nibbled on Helo's ear and mumbled, "Karl, wanted this for so long."

There was truth in his words and Helo was a little surprised, Lucian had often flirted but he had thought it nothing more than banter, especially with Marcus in the picture. This gave him further pause and he pulled back, "Marcus?"

Lucian understood the question, "He agrees – and has berated me for not moving sooner," Lucian leant forward but Helo slid his hand up to the fury's chest.

"Sharon… will not be as understanding I think."

Lucian snorted at Helo's response, "I think she will be very accommodating," he murmured and thrust his hips forward, grinding his erection into Helo's, "Besides, you weren't thinking of her when you grabbed this."

Helo gasped, the extra friction almost bringing him over the edge. He could feel the thumping of Lucian's heart through his hand, its speed revealing that Lucian must also be close – he thrust back, too hard and Lucian's belt clanged against the door.

They both froze, the sound seemed awfully loud in the confines of the closet – obviously outside as well as after ten seconds the door flew open with half a dozen armed men standing outside. A few chuckled as they saw the two men intertwined, or at least what they could see of Lucian wrapped around Helo. Lucian, with his back to the doorway, could not see the group and watched Helo's face closely to gauge what was going on. As two of the men moved forward holding iron bars Helo's face tightened.

"I think they intend to kill us," whispered Lucian with a wry grin, holding up his arms to show the men he was unarmed.

They should have been watching Helo who responded, "They'll try," and brought his own arms up underneath Lucian's, except his each held a gun, his and Lucian's. The approaching men only had time to register the danger before Helo fired simultaneously, taking each one in the chest. To the remaining four assailants the next actions seemed to happen lightening fast, but to Helo and Lucian it was like slow motion.

After firing the shots Helo dropped to his knees, allowing Lucian to swing around, his hands that had been empty now held a air of throwing knives which he released before using the momentum of his pivot to swap legs and leap away from the door, freeing up Helo's line of sight. It happened quickly enough that the knives had only just found their targets when Helo was able to fire again, taking down the final two – this time though he had shot to wound not kill, but the two would never walk properly again.

Their cries of pain and the shots had brought the other six pounding down the corridor, brandishing arm-length spanners and crowbars they saw the bloodbath and hesitated – it was enough. Lucian flicked his wrist and two more knives appeared, he jumped into the group and seconds later the fight was over, Lucian and Helo were the only ones left standing.

"Amateurs," spat Lucian and wiped his bloodied weapons on a sleeve, several were moaning but he ignored them as more people arrived. Helo brandished his guns and they stopped, hands in the air.

"Whoa!" cried one, "We don't want trouble; just tell us what you want?"

"Simple," growled Lucian and marched up, putting his knife to the man's throat, "Why did you attack us?"

"We didn't," gulped the terrified crew member, "We've never seen these guys before, they arrived just before you did."

Lucian glanced back at Helo and they said it together, "Ruse."

TBC…


	10. Chapter 10

**A Little Bit of Fear**

_**By AshtakRa**_

_**Disclaimer: **_I do not have any claim on any characters from Battlestar Galactica but I'll use them anyway - for absolutely no profit, just the thrill and pleasure.

_**Warning:**_ This will contain slash, if you don't like it - I don't really care.

_**Author's Note: **_I have been too kind with characters before; this time I want them to be just a little unlikeable, at least to begin with.

_**Reviews: **_Yes please, feed me Seymour!

_**Fandom: **_Battlestar Galactica 21st century style, season 2 set after Black Market.

_**Characters: **_Most of them at some point but mostly the pilots and of course Apollo and Helo, and also a few creations of my own.

**Chapter Ten**

_Battlestar Pegasus_

The small group halted at the beginning of the corridor, following the Fury's lead. He stood stock still, surveying the empty corridor and every person thought the same thing 'what does he see that we can't?'. There was only six in the group, Lucian and Helo, Apollo, Hotdog, Tyrol and Starbuck; others had wanted to come along but Lucian wanted the team small. Fact was when word spread that Marcus had been kidnapped, by none other than Pegasus crew; many aboard Galactica were willing to once again train weapons on the larger ship – even with Lee Adama now in command. It was soon made apparent however that it was just the action of a few – probably the bare few that remained of those that had imprisoned Lucian. All that had been left on Lucian's bunk was a black bag, exactly the type of bag they had once put over his head just before they almost shot him. It was enough to tell Lucian what had happened to Marcus and who had done it.

The fake 'mutiny alarm' had been a ploy to get Lucian off the Galactica so they could board, abduct Marcus and get back to Pegasus. Why? When discovered by a Pegasus security team (sent by Apollo) the abductors had demanded Lucian come in person – or they would execute Marcus immediately. It was all Helo could do to prevent Lucian going in alone, and then they had to prevent others from joining the team. Every one of the people who had been training with Marcus and Lucian, and even some other pilots and deck crew had wanted in. Marcus had quickly ingratiated himself with Galactica personnel, his easy manner, humour and skill as well his ability to just always be likeable. Galactic had embraced the Pegasus pilot as one of their own and now he was in danger – Helo had to wonder what insane person would want to anger so many just to get to Lucian.

There had to be easier ways. But then it was the only way to truly get his absolute attention – and probably the only way to really hurt him. Whoever had organised this may be insane but certainly not stupid, but as they stood there looking down the corridor at the storage bay door Helo was at a loss to explain what these people hoped to achieve. They may kill Marcus, they may even kill Lucian if he gave himself over to them – but there was no escape; no Admiral Cain or any of her ilk to absolve them of this action. It was madness and it made Helo all too aware of how the cylons viewed humanity – dangerous and ultimately self-destructive.

Lee impatiently stepped forward, it was his ship after all, but Lucian shot a hand out and stopped him. The commander glared at the Fury for a moment but then backed down, perhaps their earlier run in had precipitated such a retreat or maybe he just trusted Lucian's judgement. Either way the command of this situation was silently passed to Lucian. He was suited up in his Fury uniform but carried just a pistol, although Helo was positive he would have several knives hidden on his body. Picking up a loose crate Lucian tossed it halfway along the deck, it landed in an explosion of sparks and the lights flickered and died. Almost immediately the back-up systems kicked in and the alarms were sounded, the sound was cut at a word from Lee but the flashing red remained. Helo and Lucian looked at each, each saw the resolve in the other and in unison they stepped forward.

Nothing happened, whatever they had used to charge the deck plate had burned out – just to be sure Tyrol opened a panel and started rewiring. Before he had even finished Helo and Lucian were at the door and had tested the handle, it wasn't locked. Apart from the sounds of the rest of the group approaching there was little to hear, only the hushed operating systems of a modern Battlestar. Lucian paused with his hand on the release and lowered his head, an audible sigh escaped – the only evidence of the stress he was under. Starbuck had moved up and patted him on the arm; he nodded at her – their silent communication a carry over from years past.

Stealth was no longer needed, whoever was inside knew they were here so once he had checked everyone was in position Lucian swung the handle and pushed the door, it swung noiselessly into the storage bay while everyone crouched out of sight. The electrified deck had proven these guys meant business and only a fool would put his head through the door. Lucian was no fool but stood up and moved into the doorway, Helo waited for the bullets to slam into the Fury's body but nothing happened.

"Helo – Starbuck," Lucian ordered, "The rest of you stay here." He stepped through and the two pilots followed, their weapons drawn and pointed to the sides, Lucian would have the point covered. The power was out in the bay as well but no emergency lights had come on, Lucian switched on a torch light and his body suddenly tensed even more – if it was possible. At the back of the room Marcus was strapped into a metal chair, he was conscious but his face was covered in cuts and bruises. He was gagged and his clothes ripped and bloodied – if Helo knew Marcus not all that blood was his own. Two hooded figures stood to the side of the captive, each with a gun to his head. Another stood at the side wall and was leaning nonchalantly against a pipe. No faces could be seen because of the hoods but they were all male and had similar builds, the one against the wall seemed bulkier however and it was he who spoke first.

"Weapons," his voice was rasped, whether natural or to cover his identity Helo could not tell. Both Helo and Starbuck waited for Lucian to lower his pistol before doing the same. Lucian went further and dropped it to the ground, kicking it along the deck so that it disappeared into the shadow behind Marcus' chair.

"You have me," Lucian addressed the one to the side, "I am unarmed so let him go – I am no longer a danger to you."

All three hooded figures laughed and one with a gun moved to cover Lucian while the other kept his weapon against Marcus' head. The one on the pipe spoke again, "I doubt that, you did not really think we would let him live do you."

With that the figure covering Marcus grasped his pistol double handed – ready to shoot. All credit to Marcus thought Helo as the young man's eyes did not even change; he just continued to look at Lucian as if studying him; no fear and no panic evident in his expression.

"That would be a mistake," growled Lucian, "You really have no idea what I am capable of."

"Oh I think I do," said the man against the wall, stepping forward and removing his hood and cloak. The light barely illuminated him but it was enough for Helo and Starbuck to gasp – he was wearing an identical outfit to Lucian.

There was another Fury in the fleet.

A Fury who was not on their side.

Helo realised that the odds of anyone getting out of this room alive had just got very long, he had only an instant to think this before everything went crazy.

The other Fury started raising a pistol towards Lucian, who threw the torch up into the air and turned away, Helo followed suit – closing his eyes an instant before the flash-bomb inside the torch exploded.

In the seconds following it was only through muzzle flashes that Helo could see what was happening. Starbuck had also known what Lucian was doing and after the flash quickly took out the man over Marcus while Helo shot at the other, he caught him in the shoulder but then the man was upon him. Throwing away the gun Helo went for his knife and slashed at where he thought the other should be, a grunt and some resistance on the knife revealed he was mildly successful.

It was at that point the lights came back on – Tyrol had finally restored power, Helo had not been ready for it this time and was momentarily blinded. When he opened his eyes a figure resolved itself, the second guy he had slashed but this time Helo was at the end of the weapon, a pistol precariously close to his head.

A movement to the side revealed Lucian, who had seen Helo's predicament and had spun around from his fight with the other Fury and flicked his knife – embedding it in Helo's assailant. This saved Helo but opened up an opportunity for the other Fury who buried a knife in Lucian's back before kicking him over to Starbuck and Helo and covering them with a gun that magically appeared in his hand.

Helo grabbed Lucian before he fell and immediately checked the wound, it had gone in between the armour plating and blood was already seeping out but Lucian could still stand. He took a shuddering breath and turned back to the other Fury, but his pain was evident as he relied on Helo to keep him standing.

"McMillan," rasped Lucian, "What do you hope to achieve?"

The other Fury chuckled, "What we always work for Luc, survival – at all costs."

"And I'm in the way?" asked Lucian innocently.

"Unlike Cain I will not underestimate you," McMillan answered, "When the Pegasus turned up I finally saw how things should be run, but then Adama had to make a stand. Luckily Cain's death has not killed her belief, I and many others will continue to work for a humanity that allows only the strong to survive – only then can we exterminate the cylons."

"What others?" spat Starbuck, "A few hooded nut-jobs hardly make for a coup, and you may have us but there is no way you're getting out of this."

"Ah Kara Thrace," muttered McMillan, "You were on our recruitment list like young Lucian here – you had all the qualities except for one little problem."

Starbuck just snorted as McMillan moved around to cover them and the door, in the brighter light the three Galactica crew could see the entire room, the two bodies and Marcus still in the chair behind McMillan. Although not familiar with the Pegasus Helo recognised the re-enforced doors behind Marcus – this was not just a storage bay but a loading bay, the doors would open up into space and Helo's eyes narrowed in suspicion. He knew how Furies operated and this being a loading bay would not just be chance, McMillan had some kind of back-up plan.

He wanted to somehow let Lucian know but there was no way, besides which Lucian was now letting almost all his weight fall on Helo who's hands were now covered in the Fury's blood from holding him up. This had to end soon or Lucian would bleed to death. Helo did not know this McMillan, he suspected he must have been on a civilian ship when the Pegasus arrived, but none the less it seemed the guy liked to talk. He could use that and it seemed Lucian was not capable of doing anything right now.

"What was the problem, she would have been too smart?" said Helo, hoping to antagonise McMillan.

The Fury was not that easily ruffled and just chuckled, "Nice try Agathorn, but no, we realised she had one little obstacle – a conscience. Something that just doesn't go well with our work."

"Crap," growled Lucian, who at that point almost collapsed, his legs turning to jelly, Helo had to ease him down and hold him up in a sitting position. From this stance Helo could see Lucian's face; obviously the fight had not gone well when the lights were out as blood dribbled from his nose and was fresh on his lips, also a cut on his temple made him squint one eye. Add to that his entire back was now saturated in blood from the knife wound and his skin colour had paled considerably.

"She would have made a great Fury," he continued, "Knowing right from wrong is at the very core of what we do, it is you McMillan who should never have been recruited."

This did seem to antagonise McMillan who stalked up and held his gun only a hand's width away from Lucian's head, "Right and wrong? You live in fantasy Luc, always have – the Brotherhood of Cain will prevail, the only regret is that you will not live to see it."

Lucian chuckled, "How cute – you even named yourselves."

"Laugh all you like but the Brotherhood has eyes and ears throughout the fleet, dozens of cells with hundreds of followers – devoted to an ideal of strength through purity, an ideal that will never include filth like you Lucian. A failure of a man who could not even pull off the simple rescue of your deviant lover."

This time Lucian laughed aloud and McMillan paused in his ranting, confused by the Fury's reaction.

Lucian sat up a little straighter and stared McMillan in the eye, "This was never a rescue mission you piece of shit, I just came to give Marcus his gun back."

Understanding dawned in McMillan's eyes a second before he heard the click of a gun cocking, too late he made to turn but Marcus put his pistol to the Fury's temple and fired.

BSGBSGBSGBSG

_from Karl (Helo) Agathorn's perspective_

I watched the doc work on Lucian and thought about how quickly this man had become part of my life and how close I had come to losing him. He'd been stabbed saving my life, not something I thought he would ever do because part of me had still believed that Fury's were just like McMillan. Ruthless, efficient and somewhat inhuman – with one track minds only intent on completing the mission, sound familiar? Lucian was many things; yes he was ruthless and efficient and extremely deadly – but inhuman? Lucian was far from that, he was more human than most people I know. He had hopes, dreams, a terrible sense of humour and was willing to give his life for another. If this was not enough I only had to see the way he looked at Marcus and how Marcus looked at him, even now as the young man stood next to me watching Lucian get patched up.

Lucian knew what it was to love, and to have someone love him even after all that had happened and all that may yet happen. Did I love the guy, gods yes but I now know there is not room for three in that relationship – and Sharon still needs me and yes I still love her – does that make me a lecherous bastard or what?

When he's recovered Lucian and Marcus are going to disappear. If the Brotherhood does exist and is not just a madman's boast then someone needs to find them and destroy them. Lucian can't do it alone and I can't leave Sharon, besides I'm not sure Marcus would be willing to lose Lucian again.

Where do I go from here? After being with Lucian I am more than just a pilot and navigator, more than just the guy that loves a cylon – I am a warrior who sees that the enemy is far more than just the cylons, that destruction can come in many ways and there must be those willing to face these dangers.

As I return to my quarters and open my locker I grin and then laugh as I realise what I am. Lucian has trained me, tested me and shown me the way. As I touch the red and black uniform he left me, _my uniform_ with the triple headed insignia I can see that I am now much more than just Karl 'Helo' Agathorn.

I am a Fury.

THE END


End file.
